Walk Through The Fire
by starlily11
Summary: The sequel to 'Heartbreak and Forgiveness'. It has been six months since Seiya and the Starlights left. The future has changed, and Serena finds herself caught in the flames of an age-old war. Meanwhile, the Starlights long to return to Earth.
1. Prologue

**Walk Through The Fire**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sailor Moon; how many times do I have to say it?

**AN:** Sorry this took so long, guys. You've been so good and patient. I'm so sorry I couldn't get this up sooner; my life is so chaotic that I'm about to be declared clinically insane.

**Prologue: The Future Changes**

"Honestly, Serena! You're even more spaced out than usual today! What's up?" Rae exclaimed.

"Nothing," Serena replied. "Just… thinking."

"About what?"

"Darien," the blonde replied, in an effort to end the conversation. Alas, her hot-headed friend would not let her escape so easily.

"Why are you wasting your time thinking about _that_ creep?" the fiery priestess inquired.

Darien had returned to America to continue his studies, and while there, he'd found someone else. It had taken every ounce of persuasiveness and sweetness and pleading Serena could produce to keep Amara and the others from following the man back to the university and killing him.

"Just wondering how he's doing," Serena replied. She wasn't really thinking of Darien, but she didn't want to upset anyone by mentioning Seiya. Mina and Amy had been depressed since Taiki and Yaten left, and besides, Amara would flip if she heard that the meatball haired blonde was mooning over an alien from another solar system. Actually, Seiya had been all she could think about since he and the other Starlights, along with Princess Kakyuu, had returned to Kinmoku six months ago.

"Don't waste your time thinking about him, Serena. He isn't fit to wipe your shoes," Lita interjected.

"I won't," Serena sighed. Absentmindedly, she began to sketch Seiya's face.

Unfortunately for her, Mina noticed her dazed expression and recognized the likeness. Slyly, the Senshi of Love and Beauty stated, "Serena's spaced out all right, but I don't think it's Darien she's dreaming of. However, a certain raven-haired Starlight doesn't seem too far off the mark."

Serena blushed hotly, and retorted, "I'm not the only one. I know that you're still crazy about Yaten, Mina. And Amy hasn't been the same since Taiki left."

This time, it was Mina's and Amy's turn to blush. They didn't deny it, though, thus confirming the general suspicion that they had been fond of the other two Starlights.

Rae asked softly, "How long have you known you loved him?"

Serena replied, "Several months. I didn't want to disappoint everyone else, though, since you were all counting on Crystal Tokyo. Besides, I couldn't let Rini just fade out of existence."

"Serena, we just want you to be happy," sighed Lita. "Honestly, why didn't you say something?"

"I don't know," the petite blonde answered. "I guess I was scared."

"Well, now you don't need to worry about it anymore," Mina stated. "Darien's made his choice. Furthermore, don't you remember what Trista said? She said that Rini was_ yours_, Serena. That means that you could be with anyone you want."

"Unfortunately, she didn't tell me that until after Darien left," Serena replied quietly. "Now, it's too late to do anything. Kinmoku is light years away, and I have no idea where it is or how to get there."

"Admittedly, that _does _make things more difficult," Amy stated.

The Inner Scouts sank into a gloomy silence. No one knew what to say or do.

"How did things get so confused and undecided?" Amy wondered aloud. "Not even Trista knows what will happen now."

Rae answered, "You're supposed to be the smart one, Amy. I have no idea how everything got so screwed up. But one thing's for darn sure; the future will never be the same."


	2. Chapter One

**Walk Through The Fire**

**Chapter One: A Death In the Family**

When Serena got home, she was surprised to see her Aunt Maria sitting in the living room. Maria was her father's sister, and a very kind, warm, loving person. However, today, Serena noticed that her dear aunt had an uncharacteristic frown on her face.

"Aunt Maria! What a surprise!" Serena exclaimed. Then, she asked softly, "Did something happen?"

"It's good to see you, Serena, dear. Unfortunately, however, this is not a social call. Where's your brother. He needs to hear what I have to say, too."

Sammy walked in and asked, "What do you need to tell us, Aunt Maria?"

Aunt Maria's face became gentle and loving as she said, "You may want to sit down."

"We'll be fine," Sammy replied sagely.

"There's no easy way to tell you this, you're both so young…"

"Aunt, what is it?" Serena asked quietly.

"Your father suffered a massive stroke today. The doctor sees no hope of a recovery."

Sammy sat down hard, going pale. His sister rested a hand on the arm of their father's recliner to steady herself.

In a weak, slightly choked voice, she asked, "Can we see him?"

"If you wish, dear. I should warn you, though; it will be painful to see him the way he is now."

"I want to see him."

"All right. Sammy?"

"I want to go, too," he replied.

"Very well. We'll have a quick dinner and go to the hospital, all right?"

"Okay."

No one ate much for dinner; the thought of a death in the family was enough to squash anyone's appetite.

**¥ж¥ж¥ж¥**

The drive to the hospital was positively silent. Everyone was trapped in their own thoughts. Serena stared at her lap; she felt numb. Her father couldn't possibly be dying; that kind of stuff only happened in movies. She glanced at Sammy; he was staring blankly out the window.

Serena bit back a sob that was trying to leave her throat. She wished that Seiya was with her; he would have helped her through this.

**¥ж€ж€ж¥**

When she saw her father, Serena had to stifle a cry. Even so, she knew she must have made some sound, because her aunt laid a soft hand on her shoulder, silently offering support. Serena could barely tear her eyes from the tubes and wires that her father was hooked up to. The hardest thing to see was his face. It was pale, the left side frozen in a permanent grimace, and his eyes were closed. They would remain so forever, Serena realized with a start.

The room suddenly felt suffocating; it seemed too small. She knew she had to get out of here. Fighting back the shrieks and wails that threatened to overwhelm her, she turned and fled the scene before her. Despite her aunt's calls to stop, she ran on, not knowing where her feet were carrying her. Even when she had left the hospital campus, she didn't stop.

Finally, the distraught blonde looked up from her feet and found herself in a part of Tokyo she'd never seen before. She kept walking, despite that fact that choked sobs were tearing their way out of her throat. She no longer cared who saw her or heard her. She sank against the side of a building and slid down into sitting position, her head between her knees. Serena knew she was now sobbing uncontrollably. As she wept, she realized a painful fact; her father wasn't dying; he was already dead. He'd been gone hours ago. Now, he was only a corpse hooked up to life support machines.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two: Serenity's Pain**

Serena wept for hours, and time was irrelevant to her. All she knew was that her father was dead, and that she could do nothing about it. This was worse than being forced to watch as Galaxia struck out her friends' Star Seeds one by one; worse than seeing her friends die to protect her from Queen Beryl. It was worse than all of that because she knew that nothing, not even the power of the Mystical Silver Crystal, could return her father to her. Not that she would have done so; after all, he would still have never been the same. The stroke had caused such damage that he would have been stuck in a nursing home. In the back of her mind, Serena knew that it was probably better this way. Even if her father had lived, she would still have lost him.

A soft hand touched her shoulder, and Michelle's voice asked, "Serena, what's wrong? Has someone hurt you?"

Serena turned her face upwards, and saw Michelle kneeling in front of her, concern evident on her face.

"No, no one's hurt me, Michelle," the blonde replied. "Unless Death counts as a 'someone' rather than a 'something'."

Michelle's face became confused for a moment, and then, understanding crossed her face. "What happened?" she asked softly.

"M-my dad h-h-had a stroke, and h-h-he's d-d-d-dying," Serena stammered as a fresh wave of sobs rushed over her.

"I'm so sorry!" Michelle's face was entirely sympathetic now. "But what are you doing here?"

"I went to the hospital to tell him goodbye, and I just couldn't stand it. I had to get out of there; I would've lost my mind if I hadn't run." Serena was shaking like a leaf now, and more tears fell from her eyes. "I'm such a wimp," she sobbed.

Michelle placed both hands firmly on the blonde's shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes. "Serena, I want you to listen to me," she said in a gentle but firm voice. "You have no reason to be ashamed. Anyone else would have reacted in a similar fashion. Contrary to the idiotic belief that tears are for the weak, showing your emotions is a sign of strength; it proves that you're strong enough to face whatever may cause you pain and that you can deal with it in time. I'd be worried if you weren't upset."

Serena smiled through her tears and replied, "Thank you, Michelle." Then, she looked around her and realized that it was dusk. "What time is it?" she asked.

Michelle checked her watch. "It's almost 8:00!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, no! Aunt Maria is probably worried sick! I need to get home!" Serena wailed.

"It's all right. Amara is just a few blocks away. We'll get you home."

"What's Amara doing here?" Serena asked, confused.

"Last time I checked, she was arguing with a mechanic over the performance of turbo engines," Michelle answered with a chuckle. "She's convinced that one brand is better than another, and the mechanic disagrees."

Serena giggled. That sounded like Amara, all right! "Come on, let's go save the poor guy from a black eye!" the blonde said.

"All right."


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three: First Night's the Hardest**

When Serena got home, she found a very relieved Aunt Maria and an emotionally and mentally drained Sammy.

"Serena! Thank goodness! Why did you run off like that?" gasped Maria.

"Sorry. I just got overcome with emotion and lost it. Fortunately, two friends of mine found me," Serena replied, gesturing to Amara and Michelle.

Sure enough, Serena and Michelle had found Amara still locked in an intense argument with the mechanic who dared to disagree with her. However, one look at Michelle and a glance at Serena's tear-stained face had resolved the issue. The tomboyish girl had glared at the mechanic and then turned her attention to her younger friend. After a quick explanation from Michelle and a teary confirmation from Serena, Amara had been convinced that she didn't need to go out and knock some heads together.

Maria turned to the two older girls and said, "Thank you for bringing Serena home. You have no idea how glad I am that she has such good friends to help her through this."

Amara mumbled, "It was nothing. Really. I'm sorry for your loss." Michelle seconded that statement.

Serena asked, "How did you find me, though?"

Michelle answered, "I was browsing through some of the stands on the street, and then I heard people talking about how a petite blonde with an unusual hairstyle had been tearing through the streets like a madwoman. They described your hairstyle when I asked them what she looked like, so I started looking for you."

Serena blushed. She hadn't realized that her behavior would be so conspicuous.

Maria placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring look.

After a few more polite pleasantries, Mara and Michelle excused themselves, and Serena was left alone.

Serena had thought that she had no tears left to shed, but as soon as she was alone, she felt the all too familiar lump in her throat, and tears burned in her eyes, and she collapsed on her bed sobbing.

Luna had been napping all afternoon, and she had no idea what had occurred, so she was immediately concerned. "Serena, what is it?" she asked. "What's made you so sad?"

Serena sobbed for a few seconds before she answered, "My dad's dead, Luna!" Then, suddenly, she screamed in anguish, "MY DAD'S DEAD! AND I DID NOTHING! I'M THE PRINCESS OF THE MOON AND I CAN'T SAVE ONE MAN'S LIFE!" Then, she was reduced to sobs again.

Luna was surprised by the usually upbeat and happy blonde's outburst, but then she realized that it was her grief and anguish that caused her to say such things.

"What's the point of having all that power when I can't even save my own father?" Serena whimpered.

Luna approached the distraught Moon Princess and said softly, "But you've saved countless others, Serena. You must not forget that. You saved the world from Chaos, you stopped Beryl and Nehellenia..."

"But I couldn't prevent a stroke from killing Dad," Serena whispered sadly.

"Serena, you can't save everyone, even if you wish you could. Look at it this way; even if you had been able to prevent him from having a stroke, he could have been killed any number of other ways."

"But he might not have," Serena whimpered.

"We can't go through life thinking of what might have been," Luna told her Princess quietly. "We can only focus on what is going on in this moment in time."

Serena said nothing, simply continued to weep.

Luna turned her eyes to the crescent moon in the sky and silently asked that the Moon Princess' pain be eased. She knew that this first night would be hardest of many long, difficult nights.


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four: Lovelights**

While Serena shed her endless tears of pain, a certain Starlight with rich, noir-hued hair and shining midnight blue eyes stood on a balcony, her eyes watching the sky longingly. 'How are you, Odango? Is Darien treating you all right?' she wondered. It had been six months since she and her comrades and their Princess had left Earth. Fighter knew only one thing for certain now; she would give anything to be able to return to that blue planet.

"Honestly, Fighter! Your moping is starting to get downright depressing! Snap out of it!" Healer whined.

Fighter chose to ignore her silver-haired friend and made no response, simply sighed and continued to stare at the night sky.

"Hello! Have I suddenly become invisible? Or have you just become deaf?"

The dark-haired Starlight made no effort to answer.

"FIGHTER! KINMOKU TO FIGHTER! SNAP OUT OF IT!" Healer screeched.

"What, damn it?" snapped the now intensely irritated Fighter.

"Finally! Honestly, you really should answer when you're spoken to. It's rude to do otherwise."

"Yes, _mother_," Fighter returned sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Give it up, Healer." Maker spoke softly from behind the two.

Fighter and Healer jumped. They hadn't even heard her come in!

"You know perfectly well that driving Fighter insane with your endless nagging and shouting will do nothing. She misses Serena. You know that."

"So what? I miss Mina every day, and you don't see _me_ moping around and wandering the halls like a zombie!"

"Fighter is of a different temperament than yours. As am I."

"_You_ don't mope around about Amy, either!"

"That is because I've accepted and adjusted to the way the future will play out. You, however have accepted it and are not yet adjusted to it. Unfortunately for us, you are trying to pretend you have by making yourself even more annoying than usual. As for Fighter, she has accepted it, but still hopes that the future can change. Thus, she passes her days as she does."

"We're a pretty lovesick group of girls, aren't we? You bury yourself in books to escape the memories, I cope by driving everyone who crosses me bonkers, and Fighter just stands on the balcony and sighs all the time like a lovesick maiden waiting for her prince, ah, princess."

Maker chuckled in spite of herself, her amethyst eyes twinkling with faint amusement. Healer allowed herself a brief grin, and even Fighter managed to pull out of her thoughts and crack a small smile. Healer was annoying, but she could be funny sometimes.

Fighter stated, "Healer my friend, I believe you're right. We're 110% lovesick, and we probably always will be."

Healer started to argue, but then she shrugged. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"I second that," Maker chimed in. "In fact, I completely agree."

"Then it's unanimous," Fighter declared. "We're no longer the Starlights; we're the Lovelights!"

"Oh, God, that's so lame," groaned Healer. "But so true!"

"We better not call ourselves that in public, though," Maker pointed out. "People would think that we've either gone completely nuts or that we're having an identity crisis."

"No kidding," Fighter agreed. "Still, in private we can call ourselves what we really are."


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five: A New Nightmare**

The next morning, Serena was gently awakened by Maria. She was allowed to stay home today considering the current circumstances. Normally, she would have been overjoyed to hear that she didn't have to go to school, but now it was a depressing thought. She wouldn't have something to distract her from thoughts of her father lying there in that hospital, slowly fading. His spirit had already fled, but his body still fought the hopeless fight.

With a sigh, the usually happy blonde began her usual morning routine of brushing her teeth, washing her face, brushing her hair, and getting dressed. As she brushed out her flowing golden locks, she felt an odd tingling sensation all over her skin, and she was finding it difficult to breathe. It was as though she was being pushed into the depths of the ocean, and she gasped at what she was seeing.

She was no longer in her room; she was in what appeared to be a deserted artillery store. And darting around counters and between shelves as though her life depended on it was someone she never thought she'd see again.

Serena realized that she was seeing her mother. The woman who had had abandoned her, Sammy, and her father was alone in an artillery store, running as though the hounds of hell were after her. A look of fear seemed to be permanently frozen on her face. Confusion set in. What was going on? Why was her mother so terrified?

As she looked around, Serena quickly became aware of what was causing her mother's fear. A great beast, formed by the blackness of darkest night with glowing red eyes set into a face that was a genuine illustration of fear hovered near the ceiling. It pursued the woman she had once called her mother.

The blonde girl gasped with terror as she took in the sight of the horrifying beast. This…thing… was the living stuff of nightmares and the embodiment of terror. She'd long despised her mother, but no one deserved this! Serena groped for her brooch, and discovered to her horror that it was not there. She was helpless; and she could not help her mother.

Fear intensified her senses; she could hear her mother's ragged breath, see the beads of sweat forming on her face. But that was not what shocked her. What shocked her was hearing her mother murmur 'Serena' as though it were a prayer. She repeated it over and over almost like a mantra.

Finally, the blonde could bear it no longer. "MOTHER!" she screamed.

In that moment, her mother, the woman she had hated until about six minutes ago, seemed to hear her. All she saw was a single movement, and something went flying toward her; something gold with a ruby in the center and shaped like the sun. Serena caught it as though compelled.

She saw her mother mouth the word 'go', and the creature of the shadows closed in. Horrified and frozen to the spot, Serena watched as her mother removed a silver dagger from her coat pocket. With a sick feeling, she saw her plunge the dagger into her heart. The creature screamed in rage, and disappeared.

At that moment, Serena felt the scream that had been building inside her tear itself loose.

"NOOOOOOO! MOTHER!"

**ѢжѢжѢжѢ**

The next thing Serena remembered was someone shaking her. She realized that her eyes were closed, and she opened them. Rae was gripping her firmly by the shoulders and shaking her roughly.

"Come on, Serena! Snap out it!" the priestess pleaded.

Serena whispered, "What happened?" Her throat hurt, so she rubbed it.

"You mean you don't remember?" Rae asked. Her face was pale.

"No. I just remember that I was brushing my hair, and I felt kind of breathless."

"You collapsed, Serena. Luna got so worried that she called us. When we got here, your aunt was trying to wake you up. You were screaming bloody murder, and you kept shouting for your mom. We all tried to get you to snap out it, but nothing worked, so I started shaking you. What happened to you?"

Serena knew that she should tell Rae about the frightening things she'd seen in her…nightmare, but for some reason, she felt reluctant to do so. "I don't know," she answered. "One minute I wash brushing my hair, and the next, you're shaking me."

"Are you certain you don't remember anything else, Serena?" Amy inquired. "That was a rather frightening episode you had. We thought you were going mad!"

'I probably am,' Serena thought grimly. Just then, she realized that she was clutching something in her hand. She looked down. It was the same amulet from her vision. She sank down to the floor, staring at it in mute shock. Then, she turned her back on her concerned friends and family, and flung it out of the window. 'That thing is dangerous,' she thought. 'I don't want to get involved with that.'

Once that was done, she turned and tried to smile. "I'm all right, guys. Really. I guess I didn't sleep well, and I must have just slipped into a really bad nightmare."

They all looked dubious, but they accepted the explanation.

"Take care of yourself, Serena," Mina said softly. "We don't want anything to happen to you."

"Yeah. That may have been a dream, but from the way you were screaming, it was a pretty scary one," Lita said. "If you ever need to talk, call us."

"Okay. Sorry I scared you guys."

"As long as you're all right, we don't mind," Rae stated firmly.

"I'm fine. I guess all that business with my parents' split and my dad's dying finally caught up with me."

After more coaxing and reassurances that she was fine, her friends left, and Maria left her to her thoughts.

'Looks like I'm about to face a new nightmare,' Serena thought. 'I can only hope that throwing away that necklace can hold it off.'


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six: Dreams and Reality**

Serena wanted to believe that what she had seen had been a horrible dream, but the amulet was proof that it had been real. To make matters worse, even though she had thrown it out, it still reappeared on her dresser the next day. However; it was no longer a gold, sun-shaped amulet with a fiery red ruby in the center; it was now a silver crescent moon, and tiny sapphires shimmered in an intricate, complicated looking pattern. It was almost as though the amulet had changed its appearance to suit its new wearer.

Nothing she did made the slightest difference. Even when she gave it to someone to break down into scrap metal, it still came back to her, whole and shining. No matter what methods she used to rid herself of the thing, it still found its way back to her.

In an effort to find a distraction from her disturbing dreams, the irritating amulet, and her pain at losing her father, Serena turned on the news in hopes of finding some hideously dull news report. Hopefully, it would be something on the eternally complicated, impossible to understand world of politics. It would be a good break from the haze of pain, confusion, and fear that had clouded her mind this past week.

No such luck. A murder in an abandoned artillery store had made top-priority in the newsroom. Serena felt ill. She knew she should turn the TV off and run like hell to the airport and head from there to Antarctica, but something compelled her to stay and wait for details. Serena listened in silence, her stomach sinking more and more with each word she heard.

"…The body has been identified as that of Ilene Tsukino, who recently finished signing the papers for her divorce from Ken Tsukino, who died from a massive stroke this week. Relatives have refused to comment," were the final words Serena comprehended before shock set in.

The blonde girl vaguely recalled her aunt sitting her and Sammy down and informing them of their mother's death, but she'd been so overwhelmed by losing her father that it had never really sunk in. Now, with devastating strength, it pushed its way into her consciousness, and pain rushed through her as though an invisible barrier had been holding it back all this time.

With a gasp, Serena realized that what she'd seen had not been a dream; it had been a vision. She could longer deny the facts. She'd seen her mother die at the hands of some… well, she guessed it could be called a demon of the shadows, or a monster. Well, actually, her mother had killed herself, but that…thing, whatever it was, had driven her to it. That hadn't been a dream… it was reality.

Serena felt lost and alone. She didn't want to worry her friends; they were worried enough about her already. There was no way she was going to tell Aunt Maria; she had too much to deal with already. Sammy was out of the question; she would never burden someone his age with her problems. And Seiya… well, Seiya was several light years away. Getting into contact with him would be much easier said than done. Sighing, she rested her head in her hands. She was going to get a few gray hairs this year.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven: The Knights Templar**

**AN:** I know; I am butchering the tales of King Arthur. Deal with it. And the word "vampyr" is not a mistake; I just like to spell it that way.

The next day, an unexpected visitor came to call. It was her mother's sister, Diane. Diane had always been somewhat eccentric, and she always spoke in riddles. Riddles that no one could solve except Serena's mother. Needless to say, it was a surprise to find her on the doorstep. Even more surprising was the fact that she wished to speak to Serena.

Now Diane had always seemed to keep a watchful eye on Serena, but even more so when she entered her teenage years. Come to think of it, she'd always seemed to be vigilant when it came to Ilene, too. It was one of the many mysteries of life; one that had never been solved.

When they were alone, Serena gave her mysterious aunt a questioning look. What was going on?

Finally, the older woman asked, "Have you had any odd dreams lately?"

Wow, creepy. It was almost as though the woman could read minds.

"Yes, ma'am," Serena answered.

"What did you see?"

"I know I sound crazy when I say this, but I think I saw Mom's death…either before it happened or _while it was happening_."

"You're not crazy. It just confirms that the amulet had once again changed hands."

"Wait… how did you know I had an amulet?"

"It's been in our family for generations, changing hands every time the old wearer dies, changing to suit the next wearer. And so it shall be until the end of days, or until our task is complete."

Serena felt confusion wash over her like a tsunami. So she wasn't crazy. But what on Earth was her aunt talking about? "What task?"

"What task? Did Ilene not tell you?"

"No…she ran off with the butcher one day."

"Christ…" muttered Diane. "She _would _decide to keep everything hushed up…everyone knows but her own children…never mind the fact that her daughter is next in line…"

"Next in line for what?" Serena asked, confused.

Suddenly gentle, Diane took the girl's hands, and said, "Serena, my dear, you may want to sit down. Everything you think you know about life is about to come crashing down."

Serena almost laughed. She'd already been through that… twice now, as a matter of fact. The first time was when she became Sailor Moon. The second time was when she found out she was the Moon Princess. "I'll be fine," she answered. However, she took a seat. She didn't want to faint.

"It began sometime in the Dark Ages, I suppose, in the time of King Arthur, Merlin, and Morgaine LeFay. You are, of course, aware that sorcerers, witches, and dragons as well as numerous other creatures of folklore existed in that time. Am I correct?"

"Yeah."

"Our story begins in that time. There was more than your usual fairytale assortment of creatures in those days. There's a reason that time was known as the Dark Ages. Those were dark times. Vampyrs, daemons, and the creatures of Hell walked the Earth. Camelot was the only place on Earth that was safe. King Arthur was disturbed to realize this, and thus, he began to form the order of the Knights Templar."

"Is that, like, another name for the Knights of the Round Table?"

"No. This was a different order altogether, one formed essentially for the purpose of stamping out these dark beings. Originally, only men were considered to be strong enough to fight the forces of evil. However, a young sorceress by the name of Elara changed all that. There came a time when the Knights Templar faced an evil that no man could defeat, and it appeared that the war was lost. Elara, however, was not willing to let those foul creatures win, and so she donned a suit of armor, and, armed only with her magic and a sword, rode out on a stallion to face it. It was a fierce battle, but in the end, Elara was victorious. Arthur saw that women could fight as well as men, and thus, women were allowed to join their ranks."

"Wow, that's amazing…what does it have to do with us?"

"Elara was the first woman to join the Knights Templar, and she was our ancestor."

"You mean she's my great-great-great-great-great grandmother?"

"Yes, and there are probably several more greats after those five."

"Wow. But now there aren't any more daemons, so why are we still fighting?"

"The Knights Templar did a fair job of wiping them out, but there are still several that hide among us. The Knights vowed that they would never stop fighting until the last creature of Hell was dead. That vow passed on to their descendants, and then to the next generation, and so forth."

"So… my mother was a Knight Templar?"

"Yes. The oldest child is always chosen to be next in our line of duty. The knowledge is passed down through generations, and their siblings are informed if necessary."

"If necessary?"

"If it is deemed that the current generation's chosen child is too weak to fight alone, then one or more of their siblings will join the fight."

"Was my mother…"

"Yes. She was too soft-hearted, too frightened of her role. It became necessary for me to join her."

"Will Sammy be…"

"Only if you make it necessary."

"I have no intention of doing that."

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

"Is there anything else I should know?"

"Well, you should know that your mother never ran off with the butcher."

"WHAT?"

"She left to protect you. You see, daemonic activity had increased, and this was the first time in decades that it had been necessary for her to enter the fray. Up until that point, others among our number had kept them at bay. The daemons learned where she was, but fortunately, they didn't know who associated with her. I warned her of this, and she knew she had to leave, but she could not bear to have you, Sammy, and Ken know what danger you all faced."

"So my dad…he didn't know anything about it?"

"Nothing."

"Oh."

"Ilene didn't want you to be jumping at shadows, so she remained silent and left, giving you the story that she'd run off with the butcher."

"But I saw the divorce papers…"

"Ilene knew that she would die, and she wanted Ken to be able to move on and be happy if she died; she didn't know if her body would be discovered, or if she would have a body to even _be_ discovered."

"And the dream I had…"

"That was no dream, dear. I'm sorry you have to have all of this dumped on you, but you have a right to know. The bloodlines of some of the most powerful families involved in sorcery run through your veins.

"Oh, God…" Serena couldn't take it anymore. This was even harder to withstand than anything else. She could feel her life collapsing around her. Tears pushed their way out before she could stop them.

"I'm sorry, niece. I wish it didn't have to be like this."

"It's all right. May I be excused? I need to think about all this…"

"Of course."

Granted permission to run, Serena took it, and fled the house. She didn't know where her legs were carrying her, but all she could think of was finding someplace she could be alone. She needed to be alone so she could cry, scream, think, curse, laugh, and anything else she needed to do to come to terms with her fate.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight: The Greatest Burden**

Serena ended up in the park, in a hidden glade. It was a beautiful spot; green and fragrant, with beautiful wildflowers in bloom. It was also the perfect spot for her to come to terms with the direction her life was headed. Once she found a comfortable spot in the shade, she allowed her tears of confusion, pain, and betrayal to run their course.

Why had her mother not told her? Why hadn't she warned her? The blonde buried her face in her arms. This was worse than thinking her mother had run off with the butcher; she almost wished that that had been what had really happened. Her mother had lied to her, and had given her not even the slightest hint of what was going on.

As she wept, she felt pain at the thought of all the lies she would have to feed her family and friends. It was clear that telling anyone about the Knights Templar was a massive no-no. She hated lying. But the thought of Sammy, her sweet, sometimes annoying little brother, being forced to fight the forces of darkness was enough to convince her to try to endure. She would never let him get sucked into her rapidly darkening world.

Serena knew that what she was facing would be a heavy burden to carry. She knew that from being Sailor Moon and the Moon Princess. However, she'd survived that, and she would survive this. It was an even larger burden, but she would not have to fight alone. There were other Knights Templar; it would not be just her fighting the swarm of monsters that came to Earth through the mouth of Hell.

This time, though, she had much more to lose. One misstep could kill her whole family, could cause great harm to her friends, and; God forbid, it could even reach Seiya on Kinmoku. If she lost, the creatures of Hell would not stay on Earth; they would spread across the universe. They would swarm Kinmoku, and they would kill Seiya, Taiki, Yaten, and Kakyuu…or worse.

That thought was enough to convince her to do more than endure. She would conquer. Nothing would hurt Seiya. Seiya was too precious to lose. She'd already lost him to the stars, but she wouldn't lose him to Hell. At least now, she knew he was alive and safe on Kinmoku. If the creatures of Hell got out of control, though, she would lose him permanently. To Death.

Despite her fear and confusion and pain, the blonde stood, and forced herself to hold her head high. "I won't lose," she said softly. Then, louder, she declared, "With God as my witness, I will not lose! Never, as long as there's a breath in my body, will Hell gain an inch of ground. For the sake of my friends, family, and you, Seiya, I will _never_ let Hell win this battle!"


	10. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine: Funerals and Reveries**

Naturally, despite all of the shocking truths that had been dumped on her, Serena was forced to continue on. However, her resolution not to lose or succumb helped her through it. She bore this new knowledge with fortitude, and forced herself to focus on preparing herself for her parents' funerals. She knew that it would be difficult for her to see them cold and dead, even though she'd seen them both during their last moments.

The blonde knew that her friends were worried about her; they'd been calling nonstop, always asking her if she was all right, if there was anything they could do. She wanted to tell them everything, but she also knew that that path was out of the question. They were safer not knowing.

The day after Diane had revealed the secrets of her mother's family to her, Serena went to her father's funeral. It was as painful as she'd predicted. Sammy had ended up bawling like an infant, and Maria had wept a great deal as well. Serena had managed to cry silently, but her tears flowed like a river. She only vaguely heard people speak their condolences and their memories of her father. It was like a wall had formed around her, keeping her in an almost dazed state.

After the graveside service, she, for some reason, decided to stay behind. Maria had been concerned, but Serena insisted that she wanted to be left alone. Serena wasn't sure why she wanted to remain behind; it wasn't like her father was going to start pounding on the coffin, demanding to be let out.

Serena stared in silence at her father's grave. The sun beat down on her head. She frowned. It was abominable that the sun was shining on a day like this. It should have been raining with freezing cold winds. But no, the weather mocked her; the sun shone warmly while her heart felt like ice in her chest.

So immersed was she in her thoughts that she didn't notice when the sky started to darken. Time had no meaning to her. All she could think about was how she had to accept that her father was gone, and how she couldn't accept it. She'd thought that she'd finished with denial, but apparently, it was not so.

Finally, a faint breeze pulled her from her trance. Serena looked around. It had gotten late; the moon was starting to rise. So she knelt down next to the grave and whispered, "Goodbye…Daddy." Then, she stood, turned, and walked away.

**¥ж¥ж¥ж¥**

Amara was worried. She knew that Serena was sad about losing her father, and that it had been a shock for her to find out that her mother had died; that was to be expected. But the Inners had told her, Michelle, and Trista about Serena's frightening episode; by all accounts, she'd become hysterical and started screaming. That was in no way normal.

The wind soldier was taking a walk through the streets, trying to think on how she could help her kitten. It hurt her to think of sweet, pure, happy Serena going through the pain she was suffering. For a millisecond, she almost wished Seiya were there; her was annoying, but he could make her Princess smile, and Serena hadn't had much of a reason to smile. Amara wished she could give her a reason.

However, Amara pushed the thought of Seiya away. Sure, Darien had pretty much made sure Crystal Tokyo was history when he did what he did, but at least he wasn't an alien. Yeah, the Starlights had protected her Princess when no one else could, but she still disliked them.

The wind soldier was about to head home when she saw a familiar figure coming up the sidewalk. It was Serena. However, this Serena was not the happy, bouncy girl she had been almost a week ago. Serena's face was pale and tearstained, her hair left to tumble down her back and cascade around her knees. That was when Amara remembered; her kitten's father's funeral had been today. But it should have been long over by now.

"Kitten?" she called.

Serena lifted her head at the sound. "Amara," she said softly. "What brings you here?"

"I was taking a walk. But what about you? It's not safe for you to be walking around after dark."

"I could say the same for you," Serena replied with a weak chuckle. The chuckle turned into a choked sob.

In a rare moment of gentleness, the older girl wrapped the other in a hug. "How do you feel?" she asked.

"Like my life's crashing down around me."

"I'm sorry you have to go through this. If I could do something about it, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"I know you would."

"Would you like me to get you home?"

"Sure."

**¥жж¥жж¥**

Two days later, Serena attended her mother's funeral. This one was just as painful as her father's, but easier to get through. Her friends had insisted on being there for her, despite her assurances that she would be fine. They weren't going to let her wander streets by herself anymore.

That day, the weather was appropriate; it was pouring down rain. The sky was dark with gloom, and everything was covered in a heavy coat of rainwater. Serena stood safely under the shelter of the umbrellas her friends had brought, leaning on them for support. As she left, she murmured softly, that no one might hear her, "Mother, why all the secrets? Fighting alone is never the way to win." She sighed softly as she thought of what was to come.

Rae heard the sigh, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be all right, Serena. We're all here for you," she whispered.

Serena smiled at her hot-tempered friend. "I know. It's just hard."

"I understand."


	11. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten: The Dream**

Serena joined her Aunt Diane for a cup of tea a week after she returned to school. This meeting with her aunt was to be a discussion about her future, and what she was to do now that she was aware of her heritage. This meeting would determine the path she would walk once she joined the Knights of the Templar.

"Those with magic flowing through their veins have always been free to choose how their power manifests itself. Ilene, for example, turned her focus on raising her children and guarding them from evil. If she had not been skilled in defensive magics, you and Sammy both would have constantly been in danger from the instant you were born. Elara, our ancestor, preferred battle magics."

"So you're saying I could choose to be like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or something?"

Diane rolled her eyes. "If that's how you wish to channel your power, then yes."

"If I have weird visions, like the one I had when Mom died, does that mean I'm stuck reading crystal balls?"

"No. The visions are there no matter what you choose to do."

"The last time I had a vision, I came out of it with my friends standing over me. Apparently, they thought I was having a seizure or something."

"That was because it was your first time. After that first one, they come in your sleep. The first time is different because your powers haven't awakened at that point."

"Thanks. I was afraid I'd have to convince Aunt Maria to change my medical records to say that I have epilepsy or something."

"I think you would have figured it out eventually."

"Maybe. So, uh, what else could I do with my power?"

"You could become a healer, you could learn to bend people's minds and hearts to your will, you could gain the ability to change your shape, communicate with animals, control the weather…the possibilities are endless."

"Cool. Do I have to decide now?"

"No. But you must decide soon. Your time to join the Knights draws near."

"Okay."

**¥жѢжѢж¥**

That night, Serena dreamed. She stood alone in a cave that was illuminated by candlelight. Candles burned in almost every nook and cranny that could hold a candle. Pictograms were carved into the stone walls that told tales long since lost to the past. They seemed sinister, and Serena had a distinct feeling that she shouldn't be here.

However, genuine fear set in as her eyes came to rest on a lake in the center of the cave. What was in it was nothing that should have been there. This lake held no water; the color was wrong. The liquid filling the lake was a dark red color. Serena felt waves of nausea crashing in on her as she realized what it was; blood.

A hand firmly gripped her shoulder from the shadows, and a dangerous, silky voice whispered in her ear; "Weren't you ever taught the basic rules of caution, sorceress? Never turn your back on dark places."

Serena gasped, and whirled around to face a creature with a face that would have caused Amara to pee on herself. Terror rushed through her, and she found herself frozen, unable to move. She found herself unable to speak.

The horrible creature closed a hand around her neck, and the blonde vainly tried to scream. As the grip tightened, she managed to let out a whimper, but that was it. She was going to die. She closed her eyes and waited for the end.

Serena woke up gasping for air, drenched in a cold sweat, tears running down her cheeks. Disoriented, she looked around. It took her a few moments before she remembered where she was, and to remember why she was so scared. When memories of the dream returned to her, she bolted out of bed and ran to bathroom. Once there, she knelt by the toilet and became sick.

Luna came in. Concerned, she asked, "What is it, Serena? Are you sick?"

"I had a really freaky nightmare."

"I would say that it was worse than just 'freaky', Serena. I would say that it was flat out terrifying…and apparently disgusting."

"It was intense. I've never had a dream like that before. I guess it was just…_too_ intense. It was probably just the fact that I'm not used to such intensity."

"Or it could be a new enemy."

"Luna, Chaos is trapped. What could possibly happen that could be so horrible?"

"I don't know, but I don't like the fact that you've had two disturbing dreams."

"Everyone has nightmares, Luna. You know I had them after the battle with Galaxia."

"But they weren't like this."

"I'm fine, Luna. I'll be fine."

**¥ж€ж¥ж€ж¥**

The dream kept coming, and each night it got worse. Sometimes, her friends hung on the wall, chained and silent, their eyes void of all life. They were drained of blood. Other times, it was the Starlights. Yaten and Taiki would be chained to the wall, dead, and Seiya lay on the floor with the creature standing over him, slowly draining his lifeblood.

Despite the fact that it was taking a toll on her, Serena forbade Luna to tell anyone about her nightly terror. She decided to keep the contents of the dream to herself. She didn't even tell Diane, even though she knew her mysterious aunt would be able to explain it and help her to rid herself of it. She was determined to handle it on her own. She wouldn't drag her friends into her mess.


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven: Helpless and Frustrated**

Eventually, the dream became so horrible that Serena began trying to avoid sleep. She started out subtly, being careful not to alarm her friends and family. Diane had been asking her frequently about her dreams, but the blonde continued to withhold that information. Nothing would permit her to allow anyone else to be burdened with her secrets.

She began pinching herself to stay awake, began to drink coffee at least four times a day. She would pretend to be asleep when her aunt came in to check on her, kept her eyes closed if Luna sniffed at her face. Luna often did that; it was her way of making sure the blonde was all right. Serena began to wear concealer in an effort to hide the smudges under her eyes. It worked for the most part. Sometimes her friends asked why she was wearing makeup. Her answer; zits.

Days turned into weeks, and Serena continued her no-sleep regimen. She was desperate to avoid nightmares. However, it began to show. Since she was so tired, her appetite dropped, and some days, she barely touched her food. Since she wasn't eating, she lost weight, and she had no energy. Since she had no energy, she spent more time inside, and grew pale.

Her worried aunt tried to get her to talk to her, but Serena just smiled and said she was fine. Maria had moved into their father's house and was there to stay. It was nice knowing that she could see her friends and keep going to the same school, but it also meant that she had someone hovering over her.

Of course, her aunt wasn't the only one who was worried. Trista had taken her aside and asked her if she was all right. Serena gave the same response; she was fine. Mina kept dragging out window shopping, and Rae had started being gentler. Lita kept trying to get her to eat something. Amy stopped nagging her about her studies and instead discreetly inquired about her state of mind and emotional health. Amara kept an even closer eye on her than usual, and Michelle seemed to become more serene than usual, as though she were trying to calm her fears by radiating serenity.

Serena continued to smile and act like she wasn't slowly killing herself. She knew that she couldn't go on like she was, but her fear of the nightmare was stronger than anything else. She knew that she was being foolish, but the nightmare was too terrible to put from her mind.

**¥ж€ж€ж¥**

Rae felt helpless. She _hated_ feeling helpless. The worst part was knowing that nothing could protect her friend from what she was suffering. This time, Serena's pain wasn't being caused by a monster or something else; it was heartbreak. First, Darien had left and effectively shattered their perfect future, and then Serena's parents had died. And there was nothing she could do.

The fire soldier knew that these events had taken their toll on her friend and Princess; after all, that episode she'd had had been…intense, to put it mildly. Serena had always felt too much. She loved hard, and that was what made all of this leaving so hard on her.

However, this new development, Serena's diminished appetite, et cetera, was frightening. It was scarier than that episode she'd had. Nothing anyone did was helping; the blonde just continued to grow pale, thin, and sickly looking. Something had to be done, or they would all lose their dearest friend. This thought was unbearable, and so they resolved to do something about it. The only problem was that no one knew where to start.

As Serena continued to fade, the Scouts found themselves becoming increasingly frustrated, and feeling desperation enter their hearts. Their friend and Princess was dying, and they didn't know how to stop it. They were helpless.


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve: Love According to the Lovelights**

The Starlights did their best to serve their Princess and tried to go on with their lives, but nothing they did seemed to work. Fighter still found herself standing on the balcony at the end of the day, and Healer couldn't seem to control her need to be irritating. Maker found herself reading _Pride and Prejudice_, despite her attempts to avoid reminders of Mercury.

Finally, after one particularly difficult day, Healer flopped onto the couch in the den and declared, "Love sucks!"

Fighter tore her eyes from the stars and asked, surprised, "What makes you say that?"

"We're sitting around moping and whining about our doomed loves and doing nothing to get over it!"

"You can't get over love, goofus," sighed Fighter.

"Says you," Healer muttered.

"Admittedly, Fighter is right, Healer. One does not just 'get over' love," Maker stated calmly.

"Can't we try to find other people? I'm getting sick of hurting over a romance that I'll never be able to cultivate!"

"Who says you can't go back to Earth and hook up with Venus?" Fighter snapped. "Nothing's stopping you? Venus isn't destined to marry some idiot who doesn't appreciate her!"

"I can't just abandon our Princess, Fighter! Besides, at least I don't spend my days sighing at the stars and longing for someone who can never be mine!"

Fighter's eyes flashed with pain. "Shut up," she snarled. "At least I know what I want and I'm not trying to replace genuine love with a brief one-night stand!" The dark-haired girl turned her back on the other two and stormed off.

Maker glared at her silver-haired friend. "Honestly, Healer, don't you know when to close your mouth?" she hissed.

Healer stared at her feet. She knew what she'd said had been uncalled for and unnecessary. "It was true, though," she muttered.

Maker groaned. "So was what Fighter said. You're trying to replace true love with simple infatuation."

"I'm sick of wishing for what I can't have."

"Don't you get it? That's part of love! You have to wait sometimes!"

"With our luck, we'll be waiting forever."

"With your attitude, we will."

"I guess I'd better go apologize to Fighter, huh?"

"Yeah."

Healer ventured out to the balcony; she knew Fighter would be there. Knowing that she should at least attempt politeness, the silver-haired girl knocked lightly on the archway out to the balcony. Fighter turned at the sound. When she saw Healer, she frowned.

"What do _you_ want?" the irate girl asked.

"I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier. It was unkind."

Fighter's eyes flashed with sadness, and she glanced at the stars. "It was true, though," she replied softly.

"Maybe not. For all we know, Darien might've found someone else, or Serena could decide he's a loser," Healer stated.

"How can we just abandon the Princess, though?"  
"You're right, but maybe she'll get so sick of us moping that she'll order us to go back to Earth."

"In a perfect universe, maybe. In reality, I doubt it."

"You never know."

"True."

"It would be nice if we could go there and drive Uranus crazy."

"Are you completely wacko? She'd kill us!"

"Nah, I don't think Serena would let her. Even if she doesn't love you romantically, she loves you. I mean, honestly, the girl has an infinite capacity for love."

"Yeah." Fighter smiled as she thought of how loving her Odango's heart was.

"Chances are, if we showed up, most of them would be happy to see us."

"Except Uranus."

"Except Uranus," Healer agreed. "But she wouldn't be able to do anything about it."

"You're right."

"Love sucks, but you can't live without it."

"Agreed."

"It hurts like hell, but at the same time, it's a healing balm."

"Could you get any more corny?"

"Probably, if you give me time."

Fighter shook her head and laughed. "God, you can be a pain in the ass," she sighed. "But I don't know how I'd survive if you weren't around to drive me crazy."

"You would be dead," Healer grinned.

"Most likely," Fighter agreed amiably.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen: Serena Chooses Her Path**

In the end, the Sailor Scouts let their affection for Serena override their desire to avoid breaking her trust. Tired of watching her fade, they concocted a plan. It was decided that in order to get her to sleep, a sedative of sorts was to be administered. It would have to be ingested; no one wanted to stick a needle in her. They explained the plan to Serena's Aunt Maria, who agreed that something needed to be done. All that was left to do was wait for the opportunity.

An opportunity presented itself when Serena ran out of time to drink her coffee before a study session at Rae's temple. Naturally, she was ready to go to sleep right then and there, but she kept pinching herself so as to remain awake. A glance from Amy to Lita was enough; Lita slipped the sleep-inducing serum into a cup of coffee, which she then handed to Serena.

Serena suspected nothing and accepted the offer, draining the cup quickly. The serum worked; minutes later, she was asleep. Rae gently placed a blanket over the sleeping girl. Mina grabbed a pillow and used it to cushion Serena's head. Lita and Amy made sure that she was truly asleep, and then all four proceeded to study quietly. Luna remained by Serena's side; she understood the Scout's motives, but when she remembered the nightmares the Princess had been having, she became apprehensive.

For the first thirty minutes, Serena seemed to sleep peacefully. But then, her brow furrowed, and she started to whisper, 'no', in a voice choked by horror and fear. Luna felt deep concern set in, and looked at the Scouts, who hadn't noticed. Sweat started to pour down the blonde's face, and she started to thrash about in her sleep.

At the sound of something hitting the ground, Amy looked over to where Serena lay. Her friend was thrashing violently in her sleep. Luna looked anxious and worried. The blue-haired girl moved to her friend's side and tried to soothe her. When she touched her bare arm, it was clammy. Serena was nowhere close to waking. Amy began to think that maybe it hadn't been a good idea put Serena in a drugged sleep after all.

Serena's face seemed to grow paler, and she seemed to grow even more distressed. She whimpered, and Rae, Mina, and Lita joined Amy in her efforts to rouse the blonde. Nothing worked. Luna murmured, "I should have known…"

"Known what?" Lita asked.

"I should've known that those nightmares of hers would cause problems…"

"Wait, nightmares?"

"Yes. Before Serena started to fade, she started having nightmares that always led to her waking up in a cold sweat and screaming. The first time, she even got sick!"

"Did she say what they were about?"

"No, she always said that she couldn't remember, or that she didn't want to talk about it. Oh, I wish I'd told you girls sooner, but Serena told me not to!"

The others had been listening, and they were starting to get nervous. Had the nightmares been so horrible that Serena hadn't wanted to sleep? Had they trapped her in a nightmare? Mina looked scared, and she began to shake Serena in a desperate attempt to rouse her. It didn't work. No one could do anything; all they could do was watch and wait.

€**Ѣ¥Ѣ¥Ѣ¥Ѣ€**

Serena found herself trapped in the nightmare she'd worked so hard to avoid, and it was even worse than before; now her family had joined her friends in death, and she was helpless in the face of that which had killed them. The creature advanced on her, and she was paralyzed by fear. She couldn't make a sound; only grope around for a nonexistent sword, a rock, anything that might help her to defend herself from this menace.

"Sorceress…" the creature crooned. "It's been a long time since your last visit. I know you've been avoiding meeting me in your dreams, but fear not; we will meet face to face quite soon…and then, you'll know true fear."

Serena felt anger rising in her. This creature was arrogant and cruel…why was she allowing it to terrorize her this way? At these thoughts, her fingers found a sword, and she drew it. She now knew what her chosen path would be.

She faced her enemy and looked it dead in the eyes. "Go to Hell," she snarled. "I'm tired of being helpless. I choose strength, and if you dare to lay a finger on those I love, I will come to you like lightning in the night and strike you down like the hell-spawn you are." With those words, she twirled the sword over her head, and brought it down on the creature's neck. It turned to dust.

The blonde turned to go, and she murmured, "I will not surrender to fear again. I choose strength and speed. I will endure, and I will quickly heal my battle wounds. If I should die, then I will take hosts of daemons with me."

With that said, she woke up.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen: The First Kill**

When Serena woke up, she spent about thirty minutes reassuring her friends that she was quite all right. They confessed all to her, expecting condemnation. She surprised them; rather than raging at them, she stated that she was thankful for their concern and understood their motives. She held no hard feelings, and her nightmare had not been as bad as she'd thought.

After she left them, she called on her aunt Diane and informed her of her decision to focus on battle strategies, moves to use in a fight, and various spells she could use to bring an enemy down. That, along with rigorous training in all weaponry, would be how she fought her battles. Diane was worried that it would be difficult for her, but she agreed to help her nonetheless.

Serena began her training immediately, and quickly became acquainted with others who had joined the ranks of the Knights Templar. She was given clearance and joined the other Knights at meetings, group training, meditation, and lessons on controlling their power. She learned incredibly quickly, and it was time for her to enter the field before she knew it.

She spent the first few weeks patrolling cemeteries, mausoleums, and other various places that the creatures of Hell haunted with a few of the more experienced Knights. In all that time, she remained only as backup. She never went in for the kill first. However, mere months later, Diane reported that all of the others were needed elsewhere. Therefore, Serena would need to patrol the usual places on her own.

Serena tried not to let herself get too worried. 'They wouldn't let you go out by yourself if they thought you'd die on the job,' she thought. She couldn't help but feel uneasy, though. What if the thing that had killed her mother showed up? 'Don't think like that. If you think like that, you _will_ die!'

For the first hour, all was quiet. But then, she found herself face to face with a female vampyr. The vampyr was pale, as all vampires are, and her hair was a fiery red that was common in Ireland. On top of that, when she spoke, she had what could be unhesitatingly labeled as an Irish brogue.

"Where're your cohorts, amateur?"

Serena rolled her eyes. Couldn't she come up with a better insult than that? However, the blonde knew that she had better answer.

"Seems they got a bad case of heartburn, a lot like you're gonna have when I'm through!" she shot back.

"You can try." The vampyr lunged for her.

Serena dodged like she'd been taught and landed a swift, solid roundhouse kick on her opponent's backside. Her opponent returned the hit with a punch to the gut. Serena didn't let that faze her. Rather, she aimed a few well-placed blows in various weak points and landed them consecutively.

That did little. The vampyr retaliated with a few hard, consecutive blows of her own. The two took the fight all the way to the other end of the cemetery. The battle raged from place to place. The vampyr was strong, and Serena had never taken a vampyr on her own before. It was clear that this fight would take every ounce of energy she had.

Finally, Serena managed to send her opponent sprawling. That done, she whipped out her stake, plunged it in…and missed the heart by three inches.

The blonde mentally sweat-dropped. "Oops, no heart," she said with a wince. She attempted it again, and made her target.

That was the only vampyr she saw that night, so she returned home quickly. She had an odd feeling that she was going to be sore tomorrow.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen: Kakyuu's Musings**

Kakyuu had wondered if she should have released her Starlights from their duties before they had left Earth. Now, she was _positive_ that she should have done so. She knew that they thought they were fooling her, but she was perfectly aware that Fighter spent a good deal of her time staring at the stars. She was aware that Maker spent her free time reading great literary works of Earth such as _Paradise Lost, Pride and Prejudice, L' Morte D' Arthur, _and _The Iliad_. She also couldn't help but notice that Healer seemed to aggravate her comrades more often than usual.

The Fireball Princess sighed. She had no idea what to do. Something had to be done, certainly; unfortunately, doing what she intended was far easier said than done. Her Starlights were stubborn; they wouldn't admit that they missed Earth. They most _definitely_ wouldn't admit that they were lovesick. She knew that they secretly called themselves the 'Lovelights'; she'd overheard them talking when they'd thought they were alone.

The red-haired Princess lightly tapped her fingers rhythmically on the railing of her balcony, allowing her cheek to rest on the other hand. She wished that her Starlights would just be straight with her and ask if they could visit Earth. Honestly, it wasn't as though she would refuse! She was perfectly willing to let them go. If they asked, she would release them from their duties. She would do anything to make them happy.

Keeping her eyes on the stars, Kakyuu began to think on how to broach the topic of returning to Earth with her Starlights. It would be tricky, but she was willing to work it out. Her Starlights' sanity depended on it. And so did hers. She didn't think she could stand hearing Fighter humming the theme to 'Romeo and Juliet' much longer.

Yes, Fighter had been humming the theme song to one of Earth's most tragic (and sappy) dramas. Translation: Fighter was on her way to permanently becoming a lovesick puppy. Kakyuu sincerely hoped that Fighter's love for the Moon Princess wouldn't end the way Romeo's love for Juliet ended. At least they weren't at war with Earth; that would be horrible. Furthermore, Uranus and Neptune were technically the only ones that genuinely had a problem with them.

Kakyuu realized that she was becoming sidetracked, and refocused her thoughts on how to handle the situation at hand. She carefully examined her options. She could knock them out and have them transported to Earth; that most likely wouldn't sit well with anyone. She could drop anvil-sized hints about Earth; they were so lovesick they probably wouldn't get the hints. Another possibility was that she could simply and directly address them about it and risk the embarrassed denials and awkward silences at meals that would result. The best idea so far was that she could suddenly desire to visit Earth; they would never refuse, and they would go if she so desired.

"Oh, Kinmoku-sei, what can I do?" she sighed. "I love my Starlights, but they can be so stubborn! It would be so much easier if they would just talk to me instead of moping around and waiting for me to figure it out!"

Of course, whoever said that anything was easy was clearly an idiot. In the end, nothing was _ever_ simple, just like there was no such thing as a world painted black and white. There were only shades of gray. Easy didn't exist; there was only difficult and less difficult, with a dash of _extremely_ difficult. In the Starlights' case, though, there was more extremely difficult than less difficult. Difficult made up about half the equation.

Kakyuu decided that she would make sure the Starlights got to Earth if she had to use every last resource she had to do so.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen: The Aftermath of Battle**

**AN: **Sorry this is taking so long. I have so much to write and no time. Algebra and Spanish are a nightmare; dividing polynomials and deciding between _por _and _para_ will never agree with me.

Serena woke up the next morning with every inch of her body feeling sore. It was an effort to even open her eyes. With a groan, she dragged herself out of bed and walked into the bathroom with her clothes. She knew there was no way she'd be able to get out of school today. She'd missed enough already.

The blonde stood in front of the mirror and examined the results of last night that had appeared on her skin. Dark bruises covered her arms and midriff, and her legs had their share of them, too. Fortunately, her face had miraculously avoided bruising; however, she did have a small scratch. She could easily explain that and the bruises on her legs. She could blame it on clumsiness.

Unfortunately, she still had to deal with the fact that it hurt to walk. Frankly, it hurt to move. Serena moaned as she thought of gym, that terrible place where teenagers are forced to work out until they collapse or can't feel their legs. Sighing, she got dressed and prepared herself for school. It hurt too much to move her arms and hands in the ways she needed to in order to style her hair in the usual style. Instead, she just brushed it out and pulled it back from her face with a well-placed hair clip.

**¥ж€ж¥ж€ж¥**

Her friends noticed her hair before anything else. "Wow, Serena! Your hair looks good!" Mina squealed.

"Thanks. I was in the mood to try something different. I guess I made a good choice," Serena replied happily. This was good. Maybe they wouldn't notice the bruises that spread across her legs…

"Serena, those bruises look painful. Are you all right? What happened?" Amy had noticed, and she looked concerned.

"Oh, these? They're nothing. You know how clumsy I am. I fell down the stairs this weekend and nearly broke my neck. About scared Aunt Maria to death, too. She heard the thud and thought the fall had killed me for a minute." That was believable enough.

Rae rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Honestly, Serena! What are we going to do with you? You're such a klutz." She smiled affectionately to take away the sting of her words. She'd become gentler since Serena's parents had died.

Serena returned the smile and replied, "I know. I guess some things never change." She focused on pushing away the dull ache that filled her whole body. It was difficult, but she knew it was necessary. None of her friends could know about her nighttime activities. "Come on, let's get to school. I'm not in the mood for a detention today."

**¥ж€ж€ж¥**

The rest of the day was pure torture. Serena didn't get detention, but she _did_ have to endure the most torturous gym class in torturous gym class history. They ran laps, did pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, and every other torture that the (evil) gym teacher could devise. Serena ignored her body's screams of agony and kept going.

At the end of the day, Serena made it off campus, and sank down against a telephone pole. Her strength was utterly spent; no force on Earth could possibly make her move another inch. So, despite the fact that she knew her friends would eventually realize she wasn't behind them and would ask her what was going on, she remained in her current position. Every inch of her roared with pain, and she wasn't going to budge until it lessened.

Five minutes later, Serena saw someone stop as they walked past her out of her peripheral vision. She ignored them. The person knelt down next to her and asked, "Serena, are you all right?" It was Lita.

Serena didn't turn to face her; it hurt too much, but she answered, "I'm sore from gym class."

"Didn't look like it was from gym to me. You've been moving kinda stiffly all day."

"I also had a nasty fall this weekend. You know, the one where I nearly broke my neck?"

"Yeah. I remember."

"It's just some residual pain from that plus being sore from gym."

"Anything else hurt?"

Well, her stomach had been feeling crampy lately…Serena mentioned this.

"How bad does it hurt?"

"Medium pain, massive discomfort."

"Probably from the sit-ups."

"Yeah." Serena chose not to mention that she felt a certain kind of wetness in her underwear. She didn't need a rumor flying around that she wet herself. Besides, she had an idea of what it was. The pain was less now, and she stood up with effort. Lita supported her for a few moments until she was certain that Serena could keep her balance.

Serena forced a smile. "You know, I don't feel very good today. I think I'm just going to go home."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, thank you, Lita. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Call if you need anything."

"I will." The blonde calmly walked away and made her way home. Once there, she walked into the bathroom, closed and locked the door, and examined her underwear.

"Shit," she muttered. She'd just gotten her first period.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Chapter Seventeen: Free At Last!**

**AN:** I'll give you one guess as to what this chapter is about. Read it and check your answer. If you got it right, you get a virtual hug from me. ;-)

Sailors Star Healer, Fighter, and Maker headed to their Princess's apartments. Each was wondering what she wanted to speak with them about. Fighter was wondering if she'd been unintentionally shirking her duties. Maker was worrying that she hadn't done a good job of making sure Healer didn't get too annoying. Healer was wondering if she was about to get landed in deep dog doo because she'd been doing her best to drive her comrades and everyone else insane. In the back of their minds, however, each was hoping that maybe…no, it was too much to hope for.

Maker lightly knocked on the door. Kakyuu's sweet voice sang, "Come in."

The Starlights entered. Kakyuu was sitting in her usual comfortable chair by the hearth, and she smiled kindly and gestured for them to sit down. They obeyed, getting more and more curious by the minute. Their Princess was still smiling, and her eyes sparkled. All three wondered what was going on.

Kakyuu finally asked, "How are you today, my Starlights?"

"We're fine, Kakyuu-hime," Fighter answered. "How are you?" she ventured to ask.

"I am well, Fighter. But I am concerned about the three of you."

"We're fine, Princess," interjected Healer.

"_Fine_ is the key word there, Healer. You three are missing Earth."

All three Starlights flushed slightly. Had they really been _that_ obvious?

"I, too, have felt a longing to return to Earth for a time," Kakyuu stated calmly.

All three looked up, feeling suddenly confused. This was the first they'd heard of this.

Desperate for clarification and hoping to hear the words they'd all wished to hear, Maker asked, "What are you trying to say, Princess?"

"I am trying to say, my dear Starlights, that I was considering a visit to Earth, and I was hoping that you would be willing to come with me." Kakyuu was beaming now.

Fighter let out a loud whoop and did several back flips, and then practically floated down to the ground and got a stupidly contented look on her face. Healer started grinning like a fool and slid down against the wall, giving a happy sigh as she did so. Maker showed an incredible amount of energy, so great was her excitement. She let out a very uncharacteristic squeal and did a happy dance that let loose so much exuberance it was a wonder she didn't go into cardiac arrest from sheer ecstasy. After that, Kakyuu found herself to be the recipient of a three-Starlight hug that, had she been anyone else, would have been suffocating. Even so, it was just a tad difficult to get some oxygen into her lungs.

"I'm glad you're so excited, my Starlights," she gasped.

Blushing, the three released her, and the Fireball Princess took a few deep breaths before continuing.

"When do we leave?" Fighter asked excitedly.

"Well, I've taken care of matters here, so we can leave sometime to—"she was cut off quickly. Her Starlights had taken off and returned in literally five seconds with full packed bags.

Kakyuu smiled. She'd known that would happen. Therefore, she was already packed. She got her bags, and they headed off. Fighter and Healer were giggling madly, and Maker was already lost in daydreams about Amy. Kakyuu had to gently point her in the right direction several times when she got so zoned out that she started going the wrong way. The Princess understood, though. She knew what her Starlights were thinking; they were free at last.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen: Reunions…Don't You Just Love Them?**

**AN:** Sorry I took forever to load this. I moved and I had to convince the technology genius in my family to hook me up to the Internet. That, and I have to study for finals.

As soon as the Starlights landed, their happiness increased ten-fold. They got into their old apartment and unpacked quickly. Kakyuu knew she would need to move fast; otherwise, she'd be left in their dust. Once that was done, they all had a moment to think.

Taiki asked, "Do you think we should call them and tell them we're here?"

"What's _wrong_ with you? You don't call someone to tell them you're here; you do it in person!" Seiya told him.

"Where would the girls be at this time of day?" Yaten asked.

Kakyuu glanced at the clock. It was about four in the afternoon. And it was a school day.

Seiya ran through his knowledge of his Odango's after-school activities. "They're probably at Rae's right now," he replied.

"Let's go!" Yaten cried.

"Then come on!"

The four made their way to Rae's temple. Sure enough, almost everyone was there. Everyone except Serena, that is. Kakyuu lightly knock on the doorframe. Mina turned, saw them, and…well, you can guess what happened next.

"YATEN! SEIYA! TAIKI! KAKYUU-HIME!" she shrieked. The next second, they found themselves caught in a suffocating hug.

Yaten hugged her back. "Hey, Mina, long time, no see! How've you been?"

"Okay, I guess. But now that you're here, my day just got awesome!"

"Hello, Taiki. I'm glad you came," Amy greeted shyly.

"I'm glad I did, too. What's been going on since we left?" The chestnut haired boy replied.

There was an awkward pause, and Mina, who was in earshot, seemed to grow somewhat uncomfortable. All of the Inners looked down.

Amy replied finally, "Most of us have been quite all right, but Serena…"she trailed off, giving Seiya a worried glance.

Seiya, apprehension rising in him, asked, "What happened?"

"She's all right physically, but emotionally, she's not so good," Rae spoke delicately. She was clearly beating around the bush.

Lita rolled her eyes. "Apparently everyone else is too chicken to come out and say it," she said impatiently. "First, Darien walks out. She didn't really seem to care much about that. But then, her dad died, and her mom followed days afterward."

The others nodded in confirmation. Seiya felt a stab in his heart. His Odango had been hurting so much. He wished he'd been there.

"How is she doing?" Kakyuu asked quietly.

"She's holding up pretty well, actually," Mina replied. "Sure, she cried, but she's been a soldier for the most part. Speaking of which, where is she?"

"She's resting up from gym," Lita piped up.

"It was pretty tough today," Mina agreed. "And I imagine her fall down the stairs didn't help. Still, she needs to get her butt over here."

"Yeah. She won't want to miss seeing Seiya," Rae agreed.

"Wait…she fell down the stairs?" Seiya broke in, concerned.

"You know how she is. She'll be all right," Amy soothed.

Mina didn't want to take the risk that Serena would say no, so she put the phone on speaker in case Seiya had to come on the line.

Sammy answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Sammy, this is Mina. Is Serena there?"

"Yeah. Hold on, I'll get her. SERENA! MINA WANTS TO TALK TO YOU!"

Serena came on the line. "Mina?" she asked.

"Yeah. Serena, you _have_ to come to Rae's!"

"Why? Can't this wait? I've got a bruise on my ass the size of Texas."

Yaten gave Seiya a sidelong glance. Hearing Serena use profanity was weird. Seiya seemed unsurprised.

"It can't wait. Serena, Seiya's here."

"What?" Serena's tone was dubious.

"You heard me. The Starlights are here."

"I'm on my way."

Fifteen minutes later, Serena came racing in and threw her arms around Seiya. She was still happy and bouncy, but her eyes held a maturity and sadness that hadn't been there before. "It's good to see you again," she told all of them, a smile glowing on her face.

"It's great to be back," Yaten sighed. Taiki and Seiya seconded that. Everyone began to engage in pleasant conversation, and Seiya and Serena quietly slipped away.

Once they were alone, Seiya murmured, "Odango, I must beg your forgiveness."

"Why?" Serena asked, confused.

"I wasn't there when you needed me."

"The girls told you about my recent family troubles?"

"Yeah. If I'd known, I would have come back sooner."

"Seiya." Serena's voice was firm, and she looked him in the face, dead in the eyes. Her hand came up and caressed his cheek. "Don't beat yourself up over something so trivial. There's no way you could have known that my parents died. Besides. I couldn't have asked you to just leave and abandon your duties."

"I would do anything for you," Seiya stated solemnly.

Serena stood on tiptoe and kissed him softly on the lips. It was a kiss full of tenderness and tasted sweeter than anything earthly or celestial he had ever known before. "My heart belongs to you," she whispered.

In answer, he bent down and kissed her with all the passion and fire and love he'd held back while she'd belonged to another. Thunder clapped in their minds, and it seemed as though the stars and moon should have been blinding in their brilliance then. Serena knew that she shouldn't allow this; her daemons might find her and harm Seiya, but she was powerless in the face of passion, and she allowed her love for him to fill her heart and mind.


	20. Chapter Nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen: Nightmare Reality**

**AN: **It's Thanksgiving, so I'm going to give all of you another chapter.

Eventually, it got late, and everyone had to go home. The Starlights planned to stick around for a few weeks, and it was decided that they would meet again after school the next day. Serena got home with a smile on her face. She was still sore, and she was still on her period, but her heart was filled by love and joy at Seiya's return.

Unfortunately, she still had to go out and patrol tonight. The blonde groaned and hoped that tonight wouldn't be too rough. Sighing, she pulled on her fight clothes—jeans, t-shirt, and leather jacket-, styled her hair in a way that it wouldn't block her vision, and climbed out her window. She was ready to face another night of the Knights' war.

It started out unremarkably. Mercifully, she didn't have to patrol alone again, and therefore, she took less of a beating. It was a fairly easy night, and the city was quiet. However, just as the team leader was about to report all clear, a figure stepped from the shadows.

As soon as the light fell upon the figure, Serena felt her heart freeze in her chest, and felt all strength flee from her. It was the creature that had haunted her dreams for so long.  
"Greetings, young sorceress. Did I not tell you we would meet face to face soon?" It crooned.

Serena somehow managed to keep her voice steady and calm as she answered, "You mentioned it. Did you run out of small children to scare?"

"Scaring small children is beneath me. I find killing you meddling Knights far more entertaining."

"You'll die trying."

"Afraid not, sorceress. My power is beyond your comprehension, and I've decided that it's been a good while since I had the pleasure of torturing one of your kind."

"I have powers you know nothing of."

"Not even your Mystical Silver Crystal can preserve you."

Serena felt mind-numbing shock race through her system. How did this creature know about the Crystal?

"Please. You honestly thought I didn't know about your Sailor Scouts and your power as the Moon Princess?"

"I have heard of no such people. You speak of myths, nothing more."

"You'd like for me to think so, wouldn't you? But no, you will not fool me so easily, sorceress. I see your heart. I know your darkest fears, your dearest wishes. Funny. I know you far better than that simpering, dark-haired fool you're so fond of. I wonder how he would react if he knew who you really are?"

"Go fuck yourself," Serena snarled. She was no longer in any mood to mince words. The threat to Seiya sent pure fire and burning hate rushing through her veins.

"My, my, aren't we vulgar?"

The others were staring at Serena openmouthed. She'd seemed too innocent to know such obscenities.

"You touch him, no force will guard you from my wrath," Serena hissed. "Mark my words. If you so much as tap him, I will hunt you down, and I will make you wish you never saw your first sunrise."

"Very well. I take my leave of you tonight, foolish girl. But know this; I will be watching you from the shadows. When you let your guard down, that is when I will strike." With those final words, the creature turned and disappeared into the darkness.

Serena clenched her fists and scowled at the ground. 'You will touch no one I love,' she thought defiantly. 'I will never lose my vigilance.'


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter Twenty: The Puzzle**

**AN: **It feels good to be writing again. Thank you, **BladeofMoonlight**, for being so patient with me.

When Serena returned from her patrol shift, she did not go to bed immediately. She dallied. Something about that creature set off some sort of bell in her mind. Something told her that she ought to do some research and find out more about what she was dealing with. Some sort of sixth sense was telling her that there was more to this creature than met the eye.

The blonde paced about her room like a caged animal. This situation was driving her crazy. Something about this encounter irked her, and she had a strange feeling that she'd seen this creature before. Something about it felt...familiar, despite the fact that she knew she'd never faced anything like it. The fact that it was too late to go somewhere and try to learn something did nothing to ease her troubled mind.

Luna watched her charge worriedly. Something was not right, she was sure of it. Serena had been going out every night and not returning till late. That wasn't a good sign. Now, the blonde was pacing back and forth, and she seemed to be growing ever more frustrated about something Luna knew nothing about. The cat considered telling the Scouts, but Serena had grown strange lately…she could easily deny it, and then it would look like she was paranoid.

After Serena had paced several minutes, she remembered that she had a few books about various creatures of Hell hidden away in her hope chest, in a secret compartment. She looked around for Luna, who appeared to be asleep, and then opened the chest. She pushed the hidden button that opened the compartment, and glanced through the titles, unsure of what to look for. Something told the blonde that 'big, so scary you'd piss yourself' wouldn't work as a search term.

Something drew her eyes to a detailed history about Elara and her work with the Knights Templar that her aunt Diane had given her. Serena found herself being compelled to draw that volume out. In a moment of confusion, she started to put it back, and clutched the silver amulet her mother had given her in that first, terrifying vision. The feel of it renewed her focus, and she followed the need to open the book.

It started out clear enough, describing how and why the Knights Templar had been formed, and their great deeds. Information on Elara was plentiful as well, and Serena continued to read. The book was surprisingly interesting, and the blonde briefly wondered why she hadn't picked up a book sooner than this. She read the book in one sitting, and she felt enlightened about the history of the Knights, but she was puzzled by something. After the worst battle, there had been no further mention of Elara. It was almost as though she had been erased from memory. Strangely disturbed, Serena returned the book to the chest and glanced at her alarm clock. It was six a.m. She'd been reading all night.

She knew that she should lie down and try to get an hour or two of sleep, but the mystery of Elara's strange disappearance from history plagued her. Some part of her soul whispered to her that if she could find out what had become of her ancestor, she would learn something about her enemy. It was an extremely odd puzzle, and Serena planned to solve it, no matter the cost.

Luna mewed softly, and Serena smiled at her. "Yes, Luna. I'm actually awake on my own. I think I'll try to show up early to school for a change."

'And maybe, just maybe, I'll figure out what exactly my enemy wants,' she thought.


	22. Chapter Twenty One

**Chapter Twenty-One: Miss Distracted**

**AN: **I'm having a slow week, so I'm just doing my best to write some more of this ever-wackier story.

Serena followed through on her resolution, and was in her seat by the time the last bell rang. Mina almost had an aneurysm, and even Amy seemed a little bit thrown off. Ms. Haruna's reaction, however, was priceless. When she saw that Serena was in her seat, she choked and sputtered for a few minutes.

"S-S-Serena, y-you're on time!" she stammered.

"Yes, ma'am," Serena replied dully. Last night was catching up to her. "Here's my homework." She pulled out pages of neatly done and correctly done arithmetic, along with the English assignment.

Ms. Haruna picked up the work and stared at it blankly. It was clearly Serena's work, but it was _good_ work. "Well done, Serena," she mumbled.

Serena walked through the rest of the school day in a somewhat detached state. She answered teachers' questions in a dreamy, off-hand tone of voice, and took notes that simply parroted their lectures. In answer to any kind of attempt by Mina, Amy, and Lita to get her to divulge what was going on, she would smile and say she was having trouble focusing.

No matter what she was doing, a list of questions constantly circulated through her mind. What happened to Elara? How are the creature I must fight and Elara connected? Where can I get more information? How can I protect Seiya if I don't know what I'm up against?

"Hellooo, Miss Distracted, wakey-wakey, school's out!" Mina's voice sliced through her line of exceedingly complex thoughts, causing Serena to jump. "God, you're totally spaced! You've been out of it all day! Wake up before we meet the guys; you'll hurt Seiya's feelings if you don't hear a word he says," Mina continued.

"Sorry. I didn't sleep at all last night," Serena yawned.

"I can tell. You've been like a sleepwalker all day," Lita commented. "What were you doing besides sleeping?"

"Oh, fighting daemons, staking vampyrs, and practicing witchcraft. You know, the usual," Serena replied in a lightly teasing voice. She was being completely serious, but she knew everyone would think she was joking.

"Ha, ha. Really, what were you up to?" Lita retorted.

"If you must know, I was reading."

"What were you reading?" Amy piped up.

"A history book."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. If I were any more serious, I would be lying peacefully in a coffin six feet under."

"That's…morbid."

"I know. History does that to me. Makes me think about all the horrible ways I could die, the various ways they dispose of dead bodies, and causes me to make morbid jokes."

"What kind of history book were you reading?"

"I was reading about Vlad the Impaler."

"No wonder you didn't sleep! The guy's the stuff of nightmares."

"I know." Serena had stretched the truth a little, but she _had_ read some stuff about that man, who was also known as Dracula. There was a whole chapter about the Knights' battle with him. Unfortunately, Dracula was so evil that even Hell spit him back out.

"I certainly hope you can get all of that nastiness out your head before you see Seiya. I don't want to hear a discussion about that sicko!" Mina exclaimed.

"I won't even mention what I read. I'm just going to talk about what he wants to talk about," Serena assured her.

"That won't happen unless you pull out of your Miss Distracted mode."

"I'm pulled out of it."

"Good."

**¥ж€жѢж€ж¥**

By some miracle, Serena managed to stay awake while she was with Seiya. She loved him more than anything, but staying up all night did not agree with her. Then there was the massive puzzle she had to solve and intense fear that her foe would show up and hurt someone. Despite these factors, she also got some small amount of pleasure from Seiya's reassuring presence. She spent most of her time in his lap, her head on his chest, listening to the strong, steady beat of his heart. Unfortunately, she still found it impossible to keep a conversation going. She didn't really have much to say.

Seiya noticed this, but he let it go; she'd had a lot going on. Her parents had died; she was bound to get quiet at times. He shifted his position when he sensed that she was getting uncomfortable, and kept one arm protectively wrapped around her. Serena answered when spoken to, and she seemed happy enough, so clearly it couldn't be anything to worry about.

"Sorry Serena's bad company today, Seiya," Mina apologized. "Miss Distracted apparently didn't sleep last night."

"Like I said, I was reading," Serena defended herself. "Besides, Seiya's lap is so darn comfortable that I can't help being dozy!"

Mina laughed, Amy gave her a slightly reprimanding look, and Seiya just grinned.

"Odango can doze all she wants. Besides, she could never be bad company," the raven-haired man stated, smiling down at Serena. "But, Odango, be careful how much reading you do; otherwise I might have trouble understanding a word you say like I do with Taiki."

Taiki gave Seiya a mock glare, but he wasn't really angry. Amy had him far too relaxed.

Serena replied, "No chance of that. The only reason I even cracked a book last night was because I met this monster and decided…oh, crap."

At the mention of monsters, everyone stiffened visibly. Serena mentally smacked herself for being so careless. "Chill, people. My brain's totally fried from sleep-deprivation and the strain of reading a book. I meant to say that I saw this freaky poster with Dracula on it and I decided to read up on him."

"Like I said, Miss Distracted," Mina said calmly. "Don't read any more books, Serena. They've clearly done some damage."

"Yeah, I'm Miss Distracted," Serena sighed, contentedly relaxing in Seiya's arms.

The atmosphere restored and the threat of monsters averted, everyone continued to enjoy each other's company.


	23. Chapter Twenty Two

**Chapter Twenty-Two: A Tale of Utter Darkness**

**AN: **Warning; this will most likely get disturbing.

After Serena left her circle of friends, she paid a visit to Diane. Surely she would know something about Elara's odd disappearance from history. Unfortunately, if she got too obvious, it would become clear that something was up, so Serena knew she would have to employ the art of brain-picking. A definition so that we're on the same page; brain-picking is an art that allows one to gain forbidden information through the painstaking process of asking well worded questions that veil your true intent. If done correctly, no one will have a clue that you've just gotten them to divulge said forbidden information.

Therefore, Serena kept up her usual act of the stereotypical dumb blonde and played innocent. She was successful. Her aunt remained unaware of her purpose. Serena was there under pretense of needing help understanding her duties as one of the Knights Templar.

"I've been reading one of the books you gave me, Aunt Diane," Serena began.

"Good for you. Which one?"

"Well, I can't remember the title, exactly. It was a detailed history. It mentioned Dracula in one chapter."

"Oh, you're referring to _The Knights Templar: Battles of Old_! I'm impressed."

"Yeah. It was incredibly interesting, and I learned a lot. It's so cool how they fight for mankind and love and justice."

"Yes, indeed. The Knights fight for a noble cause."

"Yeah. I also learned a lot about Elara. She was such a cool person. I wonder what happened to her. I mean, she obviously got married at some point, but was she immortal, or have I been reading too many fairy tales?"

"She was mortal. And as for her fate, it's too horrible to tell. You're far too young to hear that tale."

"That bad? Yeah, I guess I'm better off not knowing. I know I could've done without seeing my mom die right before my eyes." Serena shuddered at the memory.

"Your mother escaped Elara's fate, which was one worse than death."

"Yeah, I guess. The book mentioned an evil the Knights only barely managed to lock away, but I didn't really understand. What did they fight that was that bad? Was it, like, Kronos in Greek mythology bad, or like, Superman vs. Luthor bad?"

"That is a dark tale. However, I can understand why you're curious. It is dark, but also fascinating. I am willing to tell it, but are you willing to listen, even when it becomes so dark you can see no light?"

"Yes."

"Very well. It was after Camelot fell, and all Britannia was thrown into confusion. Those were dark times, and the Knights struggled against the creatures of Hell that rampaged through the land. But then, the Abomination came. The origins of the Abomination are unclear. It's said that it began as a dark sorceress who committed such atrocities that she was sealed away into the deepest pit of Hell, damned for all eternity.

"The point is that somehow, she escaped, and all of Europe and parts of Asia were encompassed in darkness of the blackest kind. Only the Knights dared to try and stop her, but her power was so great that she killed them all with a single blow. In the end, only Elara was left. Elara knew that she would die if she fought, but her determination to rid the world of that evil was greater than her fear. So she fought.

"Elara's power was great, but she had less power and mastery over magic than her foe. However, she managed to place a curse before she fell, and the Abomination has sworn eternal enmity against her and all her descendants for this.

"The Abomination was beautiful on the outside, so beautiful that some whispered that she was a fallen angel. However, she was hideous within, and Elara knew this. She cursed the Abomination with a spell that revealed one's true nature.

"'You may be beautiful on the surface, but your heart is hideous and black as the darkest night. Therefore, I reveal your nature. You will no longer hide behind your mask of beauty. Your black heart will be revealed for all to see. You will walk through eternity, haunted by your loss, and you shall no longer seduce men to darkness.' That was Elara's decree. It worked well, for though she was not bound, the Abomination's power could not mask her ugliness, and her followers fled. It also pulled her focus away from destroying the world; rather, she is bent on making Elara and her descendants pay for her misfortune.

"As for what happened to Elara; after she placed her curse, it took immediate effect. The Abomination was filled with wrath and pain, and horror at losing what she valued so. So she decided that a quick death like the one she'd given the other Knights was too good for Elara. She chose to put Elara through as much pain as possible before she killed her. She intended to kill Elara's children and husband before her eyes, but Elara had hidden her loved ones safely away, in a place where they could not be found by the Abomination. Instead, she slowly ripped her enemy limb from limb, and cast the pieces all around the globe."

Serena listened with growing horror and fear as she listened to the harrowing fate of her ancestor. 'Oh, my God, I am so dead!' the blonde thought. 'If this thing I'm facing is the Abomination, I am beyond screwed; I'm past rock bottom, and I'm going to be fish food, or worm food!'

When she realized that her aunt was through, Serena asked the first question that came to her mind. Shakily, she inquired, "Why separate the pieces? That doesn't make sense."

"Even bones tell tales, dear. I'm sorry. You're frightened now."

"No. I'm glad I know now."

"Keep your guard up; she'll set her sights on you soon."

"I know," Serena replied quietly. 'I think she already has,' her mind whispered. "May I be excused? I'm late for dinner."

"Of course."

Serena excused herself, and walked home, her mind whirling with what she'd learned, and her terror grew and blossomed in her mind as she imagined what was to come.


	24. Chapter Twenty Three

**Chapter Twenty-Three: A New Friendship and Misunderstandings**

**AN:** This is an explanation for the statement 'even bones tell tales.' You will meet some of the other Knights Templar in this chapter.

Serena was unable to stay at home once she got there; her mind was in a whirl. For some reason, her aunt's statement about bones was irking her. Did that mean that there was some spell out there that could temporarily resurrect someone? Could it be that Elara could tell her something from beyond the grave? The blonde rested her chin on her hand, frowning thoughtfully.

Luna's voice broke into her thoughts. "Serena, are you all right? You seem…unsettled."

That was an understatement. "I'm fine, Luna," Serena replied. "Just…freaked out. I've been listening to Aunt Diane's stories again, and the one she told scared the crap out of me."

"I don't know why you insist on scaring yourself, Serena. It's not healthy."

"I'm a teenager, Luna. Teenagers love being scared."

Luna sighed. 'Honestly, Serena has become so secretive,' the cat thought. 'What is she hiding?'

"I need some air. I probably won't be in for a while," Serena told Luna.

"Be careful."

"Sure. Give the Scouts and our visitors my love if they show up."

**¥ж¥****¥ж¥****¥ж¥**

Serena found herself in the headquarters of the Knights Templar thirty minutes later. The place was nice; it appeared as an old, huge mansion on the outside with well-kept gardens and a perfectly manicured lawn. On the inside, however; it was high-tech, and security was a bitch to get through if you weren't a Knight. Fortunately, Serena was, and she was in the well-stocked library within minutes.

The blonde began pulling down spell-books at random and searched the tables of contents hungrily for any reference to any spell that might help her to raise the dead, reanimate bones, or restore an essence for a short period of time. She used every search term that was relevant that she could conceive, and she received results, but they all required something of the person she wanted to raise. Bones, blood, hair, none of which she had. She didn't know if her amulet was useful or not, and she didn't want to risk having her head explode or something.

"Let me guess. You want to talk to Elara," a man's voice said from behind her.

Serena whirled around to face a boy who didn't appear to be much older than she was. He was handsome, she noted, tan-skinned and dark-eyed, with softly curling black hair. "How did you know?" she asked.

"I was in your patrol group when the Abomination showed up. We all knew that you'd start asking questions and eventually try to find a way to communicate with her."

"Yeah. I got some answers, but I need help figuring out one big thing; since the Abomination is after me, what can I do about it? So I decided-"

"You decided to see if you could conjure Elara's spirit. Well, you've already got part of what you need. That amulet has enough power in it to wake the dead without drawing too much energy from you. The problem is, you need her bones."

"I know that. But how am I supposed to get my hands on those? They're scattered all over the place!"

"I know a spell that can help you locate them, but it's pretty advanced, and it takes two to cast it. I'm Anthony, by the way."

"I'm Serena. Thanks for the info, Anthony. Would you mind helping me out with this? I'd ask my aunt or some of my friends, but, well…"

"Your aunt wouldn't approve, would she?"

"No, she wouldn't."

"And I'm guessing your friends have no clue what the deal is."

"Yes."

"Well, we'll be breaking a ton of rules, but I'm willing to help you out. Breaking rules is fun."

"Well, I don't really like breaking rules, but I don't have much of a choice right now. I'm in."

"Stick with me. By the time we finish what we've set out to do, you'll be a rebel for sure."

"I doubt it, but I may be wrong. Let's get started."

†**¥ж¥****§†§****¥ж¥****§†**

Serena and Anthony spent the next two hours making plans for what they were going to do. Since they were junior Knights, they didn't have access to ingredients and books used for certain spells, such as the one they planned to cast. That meant they were going to have to steal.

When Serena returned home, it was nine p.m. Surprisingly, Seiya, Rae, Amy, and Amara were there. Serena blinked in confusion as she took in their presence. It was so late. Why weren't they at home?"

"Odango, we need to talk," Seiya said softly. The look in his eyes was pained, and Serena felt a pang in her heart.

"What about?" she asked.

"Sit down." Serena obeyed, and the others sat down, as well.

"What's this about, guys?" Serena asked again.

"We've heard some disturbing things from Luna, Kitten. We're worried about you," Amara stated.

"What did you hear?"

"We know that you go out at night and don't come in till late. We know that you're still having nightmares, and we also found a knife in your room," Rae told her, concern in her eyes.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Serena asked. She was getting confused.

"Luna smelled marijuana on you, Serena, and she's smelled it more than once," Amy said.

Serena almost smacked herself. Damn those vampires! Most of the ones she'd fought had been smoking weed. Somehow it had gotten on her, and now her friends and Seiya thought she was a junkie!

Seiya took her hand gently, and his other hand rolled back her sleeve, where two scratches spread across her arm from a battle with a daemon the night before. His eyes widened as he noticed them. "It's true, then," he whispered hoarsely.

"Wait, I can explain," Serena babbled. This couldn't be happening. Her friends and love thought she was a junkie and a cutter.

"What is there for you to explain?" Rae asked.

"Marijuana stays in the system for a few weeks after you smoke it, right? Make me take a drug test, and you'll see that I'm not smoking it."

"Then why does Luna smell it?"

Serena could have choked herself for the lie she told next. "I've been working as an intern in a rehab center. My Aunt Diane asked me to, and I thought it would look good if I ever decided to fill out some college applications."

Amy pulled out a breathalyzer. "We can at least check to see if you're clean, Serena. If you are, then we will drop this and thank our lucky stars that it was all a huge misunderstanding."

Serena submitted to it, and breathed into the device. It came up negative for drugs. Seiya breathed a sigh of relief.

"But what about the knife? And those cuts are still a concern," Rae said.

"The knife? Oh, I'm so stupid. I was working on this project for home-ec, and I couldn't get something to cut with regular scissors, so I got a knife and then, when I was done, I put it down and forgot it was there. The cuts on my arm came from when I fell yesterday as I left the house and I scraped my arm."

The various things explained now, everyone was relieved. "Why are you out so late, Serena?" Amy asked.

"I took the late shift as an intern. It was the only one that was still open," Serena shrugged.

Seiya's eyes glowed with relief, and everyone else looked as though a huge weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

"I'm sorry we doubted you, Kitten," Amara said, giving her a hug. "We should've known you wouldn't do stuff like that."

"It's okay. I mean, there was a lot of stuff to help create that conclusion. I should've told you guys. I guess it slipped my mind." Serena managed to smile through her guilt, and she softly kissed Seiya on the cheek as he walked past her.

He gave her a tender smile and kissed her back. 'Thank God. I was so worried about her,' he thought. 'I'm glad we let her explain.'


	25. Chapter Twenty Four

**Chapter Twenty-Four: The Spell-Casters' Escapade**

**AN: **Ooo, if Serena gets caught, she is going to be in _huge_ trouble!

Serena slept fairly soundly after she climbed into bed. The events of the day had been completely exhausting, and she knew that if she wanted to be able to function the next day, she would need her sleep. Besides, she couldn't afford to make any mistakes tomorrow. If she and Anthony got caught stealing forbidden materials, the consequences would be quite severe. Serena didn't want to find out what would happen.

The next day, Serena did something that she'd never done before; she cut school. She used a simple spell that allowed her to mimic her Aunt Maria's voice and called in sick. When that was done, she met Anthony at the arcade like they had agreed the day before.

"Great, you're here!" he said. "We can get to work, and hopefully, we'll be able to at least get our hands on the book and spell ingredients before the day's over."

"I hope so. Let's go!"

**ж****§†§†§†§†§†§†§****ж**

The two teenagers got into headquarters easily. Since it was a weekday, everyone was either at work or at school, depending on their age. Anthony handed Serena a lock-pick, explained to her how to use it, and pointed her in the direction of the room that housed the books that were forbidden to them.

Serena crept to the door, eyed the lock for a moment, and began to pick it. Her fingers had become nimble and silent as a result of combat and covert operations training. She worked quickly and carefully, not even daring to breathe deeply, only taking shallow, silent breaths. Ah, she had it!

The blonde moved silently into the room, and moved swiftly through the stacks, scanning the shelves for the book she required. She couldn't find it. Her heart beginning to beat faster and hammer in her ears, she forced herself to remain calm and looked again. It wasn't there. She began to leave, when a title caught her eye. _The Circle of Eternity: Spells Lost to Time_, it read. That was what she needed.

Swiftly, she grabbed the book. Voices sounded behind her, near the door. The blonde ducked safely into the shadows, and peered out at whoever had come in. She almost yelped when she saw that it was her Aunt Diane. Fortunately, she managed to remain silent. She watched as her aunt moved among the stacks. In the back of her mind, she knew what her aunt was looking for; the book she held in her hands.

"I'm sorry, Serena, I can't let you endanger yourself by searching for Elara's remains," Diane whispered.

Serena almost had a panic attack. How did her aunt know she was there? Then, she realized that there was no way that was possible; her aunt thought she was ahead of the game, unaware that Serena was already in action. The door was mere feet away; she could make a run for it!

The blonde prayed to every god or goddess she knew of, and raced as quietly as she could for the door. She made it and disappeared around the corner. She hoped her aunt hadn't seen her. She released a breath as she looked down at the book she had taken.

Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind and slung over a man's shoulder. Serena was so startled that she almost dropped the book. She turned her head to see who handled her in such a way. It was Anthony.

"There he is! He's got an accomplice! Catch them!"

Serena's heart leapt into her throat, and she hoped that they would get away safely.

"I've got the ingredients, but some guy saw me," Anthony gasped as he ran. "You got the book?"

"Yeah," Serena replied quickly. "Don't you think you should put me down? We could outrun them more easily."

"No. We'd have to stop, and then we _would_ get caught!" Anthony huffed. They were almost at the exit. With a burst of speed, they were outside. Anthony didn't stop running. He waited until they reached the arcade, and then he let Serena down.

"Well, that was an adventure, wasn't it?" the boy gasped.

"Certainly," Serena replied calmly. "You got what we needed?"

"Uh-huh. You got the book? I didn't really hear you the first time."

"Here it is." The blonde held the tome up to show him.

"Any problems?"

"I almost got caught by my aunt, but I made it out without her seeing me, I think."

"Good. So we'll meet tomorrow to try and cast the spell?"

"I can try and manage that."

"Okay. We meet at the Wendy's on Main Street. Can you do that?"

"Yeah. I'll be there."

"Good. Hide that book, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Agreed."


	26. Chapter Twenty Five

**Chapter Twenty-Five: The Lovely Bones**

**AN: **Sorry. I know I'm taking forever, but my musical talents are being acknowledged, and I now have six performances to prepare for. This chapter will probably be extremely long.

The next day, Serena phoned in sick again, pleading food poisoning as a result of bad clams. After much acting and the production of fake vomit, and the deposition of fake vomit on the floor, Serena finally managed to convince her aunt and Luna that she was genuinely sick. Then, she created a doppelganger that did nothing but sleep, moan, and vomit. Once that was done, Serena slipped out of the house and ran to the arcade to meet Anthony.

When she got there, Anthony hot-wired a car and drove them to an old, abandoned temple. Serena prayed that they wouldn't get arrested. She had no desire to explain to her friends how she'd managed to get herself landed in jail. Once at the temple, the blonde began to arrange the pale violet candles in a circle on the floor in the middle of the room. Then, she drew the sign for a searching spell inside the circle, just the way the book said.

Anthony lit the candles one by one, and then the preparations were complete. The two teenagers sat in the middle of the circle, each sitting across from the other. Anthony held one palm out, Serena placed her hand on it palm up, and then offered her other hand palm up, like Anthony did. Anthony placed his hand on it palm up in the fashion that Serena's other hand was placed. The two then closed their eyes, and began to chant.

_Grant our request, powers of old,_

_Help us find that which evil stole._

_Evil has come, and we require_

_The help of ye from the times of fire._

_We seek the bones of a hero lost._

_If they are not found, we fear the cost._

_Gods of water, aid us now._

_Retrieve for us that which must be found._

_Kings of wind, grant us help,_

_We ask you for power for this spell._

_Help us retrieve that which is lost._

_O, Mother Earth, lady of life,_

_Deliver us from this time of strife._

_Help us find Elara,_

_That she may help us_

_End evil times._

Serena could feel the heat of the fire, taste the earth, sensed the wind blowing across her face, and heard the water rushing through her veins. Gold light flashed behind her closed eyelids, and she could feel Anthony tensing. She struggled to remain focused, and began the chant that would bring them what they needed.

_With the fire of our desires and the water of our veins,_

_The earth the vessel holding our souls, the wind of our passions, grant us aid._

Serena chanted this verse over and over, Anthony's voice joining hers. Both could feel the power coursing through them now, and knew that there was no turning back. The power within them grew stronger and stronger, and eventually, all they could hear was the siren song of the elements. The lights flashing around the two grew blinding, and the forces they had invoked began to do the work they had been summoned to do. The raw power rushing through the teens' veins was causing almost unbearable pain, but both were determined to finish what they started.

Finally, the power exploded within them, and the elements declared their work done. Anthony and Serena opened their eyes. Between them lay the bones of Elara. The spell had been successful, and they weren't dead. Anthony whooped, and Serena let out a surprised laugh.

"I'll be damned," Anthony said, shaking his head. "We actually got it right the first try. And no one's head exploded!"

"Now we can do the spell that'll restore Elara's essence," Serena said excitedly.

"Yeah, we can start that. We have plenty of time."

It was true; the spell had only taken two hours. It was only noon.

"Let's grab a bite first. We don't need anyone to faint while we're casting the spell."

"I brought sandwiches. Turkey or ham?" Anthony held up two sandwiches.

"Ham," Serena replied.

Anthony tossed it to her. The two ate quickly, and then prepared for the second spell. This time, they required a circle of blue candles, and they drew an ornate, circular symbol on the floor that was reminiscent of something the Druids might have used.

The incantation for this spell was only one word; "_Awake,_" the two commanded, and they pushed every drop of power they possessed into that command. Mist arose from the bones, and began to form the shape of a woman. The spell moved surprisingly quickly; in another hour, a woman who had a slight resemblance to Serena appeared.

Elara was beautiful; she had flowing blonde hair, much like Serena's, but her eyes were as green as oak leaves. They weren't as brilliant as Yaten's, Serena thought, but close. Elara's face was kind and gentle, and her head was held high, strength and pride visible in every part of her.

"Why do you call for me?"she asked gently.

"We need your help," Serena replied. "_I_ need your help."

"Much time has passed. Centuries, or millennia. What aid may I give you?"

"The Abomination has gotten strong again. If I don't do something, she'll take away everyone I have left," Serena said softly. She was remembering her mother's terrified face before she plunged the dagger into her heart.

"I feared as much."

"What can I do?"

"You have been gifted with enormous power as the Moon Princess. The amulet around your neck also possesses great power. With the power of the Moon and your gift of magic, you may be able to defeat the Abomination permanently."

"How do I do that? And how did you know about that?"

"The light of the Moon shines on you eternally. And as for combining the powers of your heritage, the only way it can be done is if you willingly deliver yourself into the hands of the Abomination in the name of love. When you are trapped in that darkest of places, the powers of light you have been blessed with will unite, and light shall be eternally restored."

"What will happen to me?" Serena asked. She didn't like where this was going. This was starting to freak her out, actually.

"I know not."

"So I could die? I could be…tortured, maimed, _killed_?" Serena's voice rose in pitch on the last word. Anthony, who was observing, didn't blame her. What Elara was suggesting was scary as hell.

"It's possible," Elara admitted, her eyes sympathetic. "I wish I could tell you there was another way, but there is not."

Serena's eyes were teary, but anyone could tell that was not going to let them escape. She turned her back on her ancestor and Anthony.

"I'm sorry, young one…" Elara's essence faded, and all that was left were the bones.

Serena stood and ran back home. She angrily undid the spell that sustained the doppelganger and threw herself on her bed and buried herself beneath the covers. Then, she allowed herself to indulge in world-class, grade A tear-fest.

"Oh, God!" Serena whimpered. "I'm only sixteen. I don't want to die!"

The phone rang, but Serena didn't answer it. She was too drained to talk to anyone. She was too drained to do anything except cry.


	27. Chapter Twenty Six

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Goodbye**

**AN: **Yay, I can write another chapter!

Seiya stared at the phone in his hand. He'd been trying to call Serena all day. She'd been sick for the past two days; he hoped she was all right and that her illness was nothing serious. According to Luna, she'd eaten bad clams. The dark-haired boy was getting worried.

"Honestly, Seiya, just go over there!" Yaten groaned, clearly exasperated.

"I don't want to disturb her if she's ill," Seiya replied.

"It'll be fine! Just quit hogging the phone!"

Seiya sighed, but he decided that it might be a good idea to personally check on his Odango. When he got there, it seemed like no one was home, but when he tried the door, it was unlocked.

"Odango?" he called.

**§†****†§†****†§†****†§**

Serena felt panic rush through her veins. Seiya was here, and he was looking for her. He couldn't see her like this! She jumped out of bed as silently as she could and moved frantically about her room, trying to come up with a plan. The blonde raced into the bathroom and washed her face, cleansing it of the tearstains. It wouldn't fool Seiya; he was too perceptive, but it was possible that she would be able to bluff her way through a few minutes with him. No! What the hell was she thinking? He knew her too well!

The blonde moaned and rubbed her temples. She was sick of lying. She hated lying to Seiya more than anything. Furthermore, she was too distressed to lie, and she knew it. It was time to come clean. All she could do was tell the truth and hope to God that Seiya wouldn't think she was pulling his leg; or have her committed.

Serena moved silently into the den, preparing to drop this charade, and face her love with the truth and an honest heart. It was all that was left for her to do. She just hoped Seiya would understand why she did what she did.

When Seiya saw her, he smiled, but as he noticed her serious expression, his smile became a look of concern. "What is it, Odango?"

Serena found herself unable to look at him. "There's something I need to tell you," she mumbled.

**§†****†****†§†****†****†§**

Seiya was relieved when Serena entered the room, and he smiled at her. However, he felt worry set in when he saw her face. His Odango's eyes were red. She'd obviously been crying. Her facial expression held guilt and a seriousness that did not suit her disposition.

"What is it, Odango?" he asked.

The blonde beauty looked down, almost as though she found it hard to look at him, and mumbled, "There's something I need to tell you."

Seiya led her to a chair and had her sit down. Serena stared at her hands, and was silent. The dark-haired man was wondering what had happened. Had she gotten into some sort of trouble and was too scared to tell him?

"Odango, you can tell me anything." He meant it.

His blonde goddess' eyes filled with tears. "You'll hate me when I tell you the truth."

"No, I won't. I could never hate you."

"What I'm about to tell you will sound like I'm crazy."

"I've probably heard crazier things that turned out to be true. It can't be _that_ bad."

"Well, for starters, vampyrs and daemons exist."

"Okay…"

"So do the Knights Templar, and witches exist, too."

"Uh-huh."

"Well, it turns out my mom didn't run off with the butcher. That was just the story she told. She left to protect me, Sammy, and my dad from an ancient evil that most of the people I know call the Abomination. My mom's death wasn't an accident. The Abomination killed her. Well, actually, she killed herself so the Abomination wouldn't get her and find out where Sammy, dad, and I were.

"Anyway, I saw my mom die. It was a few days after my dad died, and I was brushing my hair, when suddenly, it was like I went to sleep and woke up in another place. My mom was running from this…thing. She was so scared, and the thing she was running from was so scary that I honestly think it would have caused Amara to wet herself."

Seiya would have laughed at any other time. The thought of Amara wetting herself was ridiculous. But right now, it wasn't funny. What Serena was telling him was frightening. He hoped that she wasn't about to tell him what he thought she was about to tell him.

Serena continued, "So my mom was running from this thing, and she was muttering my name over and over, like a prayer. She saw me, and she threw this amulet to me-." Serena pulled the amulet out from under her shirt and showed it to Seiya. "I caught it, and the thing caught up with her. I know it was the Abomination. Then, she took a dagger—I didn't see it until then—and stabbed herself. That scared me so bad. When I came to, my friends were standing around me. They were freaked out. I thought it had just been a dream, but when I saw that the amulet was real, I had my doubts.

"Then, my Aunt Diane contacted me and told me about my heritage. It turns out that I have magic running through my veins. I had to make a choice then; I could fight the battles my mom fought, or I could refuse and let Sammy fight. I couldn't do that to him, so I chose to pick up my mom's burden, and I decided that I had to shoulder it alone. No one I know deserves to walk in fear for their life at night, knowing what goes bump in the night. I wish I didn't, but I have to.

"I don't fight alone though. Feminine rights have contaminated everything; even the Knights Templar. Excuse me; I'm kidding. It's just that centuries ago, the Knights would never have let a female join their ranks. My ancestor Elara, however, was an exception. She is the reason I'm fighting, and the reason I practice witchcraft.

"Elara was around in the time of Camelot. Yeah, all that existed, too. The Knights Templar were constantly fighting the creatures of Hell, and still are. Anyway, the trouble started when the Abomination came. The Abomination was a sorceress, and a powerful one at that. She was also incredibly beautiful, and that was the greatest danger. She seduced countless men to the dark side. One by one, the Knights tried to stop her. But they all failed. In the end, only Elara was left. Elara fought, and she placed a powerful curse upon her enemy. She declared that since the Abomination's heart was black and ugly, her looks should match her heart. Thus, the Abomination became hideous, and she could no longer seduce anyone to evil. She was really pissed about that, so she became hell-bent on getting revenge. So she hunted Elara down and…this is where it gets disgusting…dismembered her and threw the pieces across the globe.

"That wasn't enough, though. The Abomination also seeks to destroy her descendants. Everyone who is descended from her is hunted down and killed eventually. Fortunately, there's a way to stop her. I used a few forbidden spells and conjured Elara's essence. She told me that I need to combine my powers as Moon Princess and the powers of sorcery I have been gifted with. The problem is that I need to hand myself over to the Abomination to get my two respective powers to combine."

Serena stopped there. That was pretty much the end. She looked at Seiya. His face was white as a sheet. His hands were trembling, and his eyes held a deep, raw pain that cut Serena to the core. She almost wished she hadn't decided to be honest, but she knew that he of all people had a right to know.

Faintly, he asked, "What would happen to you?"

"I don't know," Serena answered truthfully. "There's a chance that I could survive, but there's also a chance that I could…die."

"How many people know about this?"

"Just my Aunt Diane and the other Knights. Now you know as well. I was tired of lying. Hate me if you want. Hit me, yell at me. It's nothing that I don't deserve." Serena steeled herself for any reaction she could imagine from him.

"I thought I knew you. I thought you knew that you could trust me enough to tell me what was going on. Now, I don't know what to think. I know that you have a pure, bright shine, and that you obviously care about your family. I thought you loved me. But now, I don't know. I don't know what to think about any of this. You've been in danger all this time, and you didn't tell me. I love you more than anything, and I would die to protect you, but you won't let me. I thought you trusted me. But I guess you don't."

Seiya had tears running down his cheeks, and his voice was breaking as he spoke. Serena was crying, too, but she didn't know how to respond. All she could do was stand and stare at him. She was frozen in place.

Unable to go on, Seiya turned his back on her. "Goodbye, Odango," he said sadly.

Serena wept silently, wishing she could scream, shout something, call to him and ask him to stay. But something wouldn't let her. All she could do was stand there and watch the love of her life walk away.


	28. Chapter Twenty Seven

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Agony**

**AN: **Wow…my life has become exceptionally busy…that makes it hard to write.

After Seiya left, Serena sank to her knees. Every particle of her being screamed at her to get up, go after him; anything to make him stay. Unfortunately, her muscles would not obey, and thus she remained on the floor, tears running down her cheeks. She wanted Seiya so much it hurt, but she couldn't go after him and beg him to stay with her. And somewhere, her hear whispered, "Maybe it's better this way. Maybe if the Abomination thinks he doesn't care about me and I don't care about him, she'll leave him alone."

A voice behind her crooned, "Did I not warn you, sorceress, of what would happen if your love learned the truth?"

Serena felt her heart jump into her throat, and she slowly turned around to face the Abomination…in the flesh, for the second time. The blonde managed to say, "He's just freaked out, that's all. He'll be fine after a bit." Was that true, though?

"Hmm, that seemed more like he planned to leave for good. Ah, well, that's what happens when you keep secrets, dearie."

"If I flush, will you go away?"

"Oh, did I strike a nerve? Well, we'll see how many I can hit before I kill you!" The Abomination lunged, and before Serena could dodge or move out of the way, her enemy had her arm caught in a grip like an iron vise.

Serena tried to pull away, but it was impossible, and she wasn't going to scream; she was _not_ going to be a wuss and scream. She was over that. Instead, she launched a kick at her enemy's legs. The Abomination was prepared; she grabbed the girl's leg and twisted it. The blonde couldn't help but cry out as she felt her leg snap like a twig. She tried to land a punch, but her arm got the same treatment as her leg.

Pain was closing in, but Serena tried to fight it. She had to carry on and protect Seiya, Sammy, her Aunt Maria, Mina, Yaten, Taiki, Amy…everyone! She struggled to concentrate and called upon every ounce of magic she possessed. She had to do something; everything depended on it.

"Ah, ah, ah…no, you won't faze me so easily, young one," the Abomination sneered, and suddenly, pain shrieked through every part of her being, so white-hot and burning that it was blinding.

Vaguely, she heard someone screaming, and wondered who was being hurt so terribly, and then she realized that she was the one screaming.

"I wonder how long it'll take to break you…weeks, months? Ah, sorceress, it will be a pleasure to see you bleed." The Abomination was gloating, and Serena realized with a certain horror that she could easily be dead by the time the sun rose.

Serena felt a breeze, and she knew that she was being taken somewhere, but her body felt heavy and useless, and her arms and legs wouldn't cooperate, and the pain…she sank into blissful darkness.

**ж€****€ж**

As Seiya left, he kept hoping that his Odango would call him back; he would have done so in a heartbeat. Despite his pain that she hadn't let him in sooner, he understood why she'd made the choices she'd made. She was clearly in over her head, and she had had no clue what to do. But she hadn't called out to him, which made him wonder; was she truly that proud? Was he going to have to crawl back to her? 'No, Odango isn't like that. She's probably hurting as much as I am…God, she probably thinks I hate her. I need to go back,' he thought.

He was several blocks away now. But the raven-haired boy turned around and headed back to his love's home. As soon as he set foot on the property, he felt that something was off. The place reeked of negativity, and he felt the overpowering presence of an evil that he hadn't felt since Galaxia. Suddenly apprehensive, he walked in.

"Odango?" he called.

There was no answer.

"Odango?" he tried again, louder this time.

Still nothing.

Feeling genuine fear flowing through him, he moved about the house, searching frantically for some sign of her. She wasn't there. The Starlight returned to the main room, and felt his heart go cold in his chest at what he saw. Blood stained the carpet, and it was fresh; obviously spilled minutes ago. How had he missed it the first time? Why had he left her alone?

Terrified, Seiya paced frantically back and forth; he didn't know what to tell the Sailor Scouts, and he had no idea how to find the Knights Templar. Those were the ones he really needed; as far as he knew, they were the only ones that really had any clue how to handle this situation. Seiya had no doubt that the Abomination had taken Serena, and thinking about what could be happening to her at this moment filled him with a terror unlike anything he'd felt before.

Suddenly, a brunette with cerulean blue eyes—like Serena's—burst in. When she saw that no one was there, she cursed. Then, she spotted Seiya.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"I'm Seiya, a…friend of Serena's."

The woman looked at him intently, and studied him warily. "Yes, you do resemble my niece's description of a boy she spends every spare minute mooning over."

"Wait, you're her aunt? Let me guess, you're Diane." Seiya felt relief coming; if this was the aunt Serena had described, it was possible that he could save her.

"She told you, then."The woman seemed unsurprised.

"Just today…listen, I think she's in danger."

"I know. I sensed a dark presence here, so I came as quickly as I could." She noticed the blood. "Clearly I wasn't fast enough."

"We need to find her and get her back! We have to start looking _now_!" Seiya was on the verge of a meltdown.

"The men are already on it; chances are, though, she's already dead."

Seiya practically screamed, "Don't say that! You have no idea what she's already faced! Just find her!" Then, he softened his voice and knelt down in front of his love's aunt. "Please, just find her, and bring her back. I'm begging you; find her and return her…please."

Diane's eyes were sympathetic. "We'll do our best. But I can't promise anything."

"How can I help?"

"Right now, it's best if you stay out of our way. We'll let you know if we find anything." Diane turned her back and disappeared into the night.

Seiya walked silently out and prayed for his Odango's safe return. He would not rest until he knew that she had been found.

**¥жжжжжж¥**

Serena woke up to the most extreme pain imaginable. Her arm and leg hurt like hell, and her head throbbed with pain. She let out a moan as she looked around. She recognized this chamber, with the symbols carved on the walls and the lake of blood; she'd dreamed of it night after night, and now, she was faced with it in reality in all its horrific, disgusting glory.

The blonde realized that she was chained to a wall, and all around her were skeletons, chained in the same way she was. Dazedly, she imagined that perhaps this was what had become of the other poor souls that had fallen into the Abomination's cruel grasp. It was a frightening thought, but Serena knew that she was in for an even more horrible fate than a normal captive; she had the blood of Elara running through her veins.

"Ah, you're awake. Good. I was starting to think I'd worn you out."

"I'm not a toy created for your amusement, you psychotic bitch," the blonde snarled.

"Such spirit! I'm impressed. You have more grit than I thought."

"Fuck you."

"Are you always going to resort to profanity? If you are, you'll become a bore to me quite quickly."

"Whatever. I don't waste time trying to impress the likes of you. You're just a reject who's throwing a tantrum because you lost your looks. Get over yourself."

One of the Abomination's gnarled hands came out and landed a stinging slap on her face. "Tread carefully, child; you have no idea who you're dealing with!"

"Oh? Pray, enlighten me. Right now, I see you as a spoiled child who's unhappy because she can't have what she wants, and so she's taking it out on innocent people!"

"INSOLENCE!"

Serena felt more blinding pain rush through her system, and she screamed in agony; she just wanted the pain to stop.

"You will show me respect," the villain hissed.

"Why should I?" Serena gasped. "You've spent centuries sulking because you didn't get to destroy the world, and you're taking it out on the descendants of the person who stopped you! Honestly, what good does holding a grudge do?"

"You haven't suffered the losses I have!"

"Oh, boo hoo, you lost your face. Deal with it. You deserved it, from what I heard."

More agonizing pain. Serena held in the screams; she knew she would have to get used to it. She was going to be stuck here for a while.

That went on for four hours; then, the Abomination decided on a new torture. Serena managed to merely grimace as every just about every bone in her body got snapped. She held it in; as long as the Abomination was focused on her, she wasn't focused on Seiya or anyone else. Once that was over, it was back to the pain-inducing spell; Serena called it the Cruciatus Curse, like in Harry Potter, except that she thought this curse was ten times more painful. Still, Serena held on; keeping her attitude and flinging every insult and jibe she could conceive at her enemy.

Eventually, though, Serena lay in a dreamy haze, and no amount of pain could arouse her from it. Serena pictured Seiya's face in her mind and imagined his lips on hers. She remembered all of the times she'd had with her friends and family. She remembered the battles she'd fought, remembered the fights she'd had with Rae. It all seemed so far away now; almost like a dream.

Shouts pierced through the haze that blocked her mind, and she wondered what was going on. Strong arms lifted her, and vaguely, the sounds of battle could be heard by the blonde. She mumbled, "Whassa matter? Wha's goin on?"

Whoever was carrying her didn't reply. Serena sank into darkness again.

†**†**

It was late morning by the time Seiya heard anything. He hadn't returned to tell Taiki, Yaten, and his Princess what was going on. He hadn't even closed his eyes all night. He knew that they would be worried, but mostly, his mind was focused on Serena. All he could think about was that beautiful, shining face and those cerulean eyes. The tender images were constantly changing to ones of a less peaceful nature.

Finally, a boy named Anthony came up to him and asked, "You're Seiya, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"We found Serena. She's alive, but only just."

"What do you mean?"

"The Abomination did one hell of a number on her. It's a miracle she's alive."

"Let me see her."

"Uh, I can't do that. I don't have the authority. All I can tell you is that she'll be okay, and that our doctors say she's got a 100% chance of a full recovery, thanks to the magic in her blood."

"Please!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. How about this? I'll give you a daily update on how she's doing, all right? I've worked with the girl before; she may look delicate, but the truth is; she could probably get run over by a train and make a full recovery. She's pretty tough."

"All right. Just promise me you'll tell me how she's doing."

"I promise."

Seiya hated this; knowing Serena had been hurt was bad enough, but having to rely on someone else's reports was going to kill him. It was agony.


	29. Chapter Twenty Eight

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Coming Clean…and the Consequences**

**AN:** Is it sad that I've forgotten what it's like to have free time?

Serena woke up to the surprising comfort of a soft mattress beneath her. That was weird…she should be dead. Maybe this was heaven. She opened her eyes and looked around. She wasn't in a cave; she was in a bedroom, tucked underneath incredibly soft sheets. She sat up. Nothing hurt, and she found that nothing was broken. Confused, she looked around the room more closely. The girl realized that she was somewhere in the headquarters of the Knights Templar. Somehow, they'd found her.

"Good, you're awake," the nurse said when she came in. "You took quite a beating."

"How long was I out?"

"You've been unconscious for about four days."

"Four days? Oh, God, Aunt Maria is probably worried sick!" Serena shrieked. She was scrambling out of bed.

"Relax. Diane called your guardian and she's given her an explanation."

"What did she tell her?"

"She came to see you and your immune system had a breakdown. You started throwing up blood and it's taken a few days to get it back up and functioning again."

"Is that possible?"

"Most definitely."

"Still, she's probably worried sick."

"You'll be able to go home in another couple of days. You need to rest."

"How come I'm not dead right now?"

"Your aunt sensed that you were in danger, and she managed to…ah, _convince_ a daemon to tell us where you were being held. You've done surprisingly well, considering what you went through."

"I'm tougher than I look."

"I can see that. Now, lie back down and rest."

Serena obeyed, but she felt restless. She knew that she would have some explaining to do when she got home, and it was imperative that she speak to Seiya.

**Ѣ¥****¥Ѣ**

"She's coming home tomorrow," Anthony informed Seiya. "The story we've got going around is that her immune system had a massive breakdown."

Seiya asked, "How is she?"

"Feisty and restless, and she won't shut up about you." Anthony had been allowed in to visit Serena, and she had found out that he was telling Seiya how she was doing. She had spent the rest of the time he was there trying to convince him to find a way to get her out of headquarters so she could see Seiya.

"Define 'feisty'," Seiya replied. In his heart, he was thankful that it seemed that his Odango hadn't suffered any real damage.

"She keeps trying to get out of bed and walk out on her own, and she sulks whenever we catch her and put her back in bed. Personally, I think she could walk out today, but the doctors won't let her. They want to make sure her bones are fully mended. You'd think that with magic, they wouldn't have to wait around and 'make sure', but no! They're still cautious to the point of annoying!"

"Wait; she _broke bones_?" Seiya was freaked. Anthony hadn't mentioned exactly what the physical damages to Serena had been.

Anthony did a mental sweat drop, and he asked, "I didn't mention that?"

"No! What else did you keep from me?"

"Nothing! I'm just what amounts to a private in the army; I have to eavesdrop to get information. Most of what I know for sure comes from stealing the doctors' case notes and what leaves Serena's mouth!"

"Tell me what happened."

"Well, according to Serena, she'd already gotten one arm and leg snapped before the Abomination even took her to her lair. Then, she kept bombarding her with some kind of torture curse, and when Serena started shooting her mouth off, the Abomination started breaking more bones."

Seiya went pale. Anthony spoke quickly; "Hey, don't faint on me. She's fine. She seemed to think it was funny, actually. She kind of liked ticking the Abomination off. I think she's insane, but obviously, she can't have had it too bad. She starts laughing when I ask her for a play-by-play, and she thinks the Abomination's reaction was comical, in a, and I quote here; "Painful and twisted way."

Seiya couldn't help it; he was so worn out by anxiety that he just started laughing. It had a slightly hysterical edge to it. "God, what am I going to do with her?" he chuckled. "I can't seem to keep her out of trouble!"

"Learn to deal with her twisted sense of humor, I guess, and maybe chain her to a wall and hope she doesn't decide to break out."

**†****ж****ж****†**

Serena came back home the next day. Seiya was waiting for her. Actually, everyone was. Serena surrendered to the storm of hugs, words of concern, and all the other sappy crap that was involved in the process of a welcome home. She stayed close to Seiya, however, and both grinned at each other often; it was a relief that someone finally knew. However, the blonde knew that her friends had a right to know what was going on, too, and she resolved to tell them as soon as she got the chance.

Miraculously, the storm of affection and concern and what-have-you ended before noon. Eventually, Serena managed to find a way to be alone with Seiya. He wrapped her in his arms, and she stayed in them contentedly for a few moments. Then, she looked up at him and said softly, "I have to tell them the truth."

"I know," he replied quietly.

"Who do you think is going to kill me first? Amara or Rae?"

"I don't know. They might react in tandem."

"Oh, boy…"

"I'll protect you. Really, Odango; have you ever considered letting yourself be the protect-_ed_ instead of the protect-_or_?"

"I've sometimes wished I could go back to that."

"Why didn't you?"

"I guess I wanted to prove that I was strong enough to fight my own battles without help."

"I know that you can, and I'm willing to bet that the others know it, too. They just don't want that to be necessary. You're so innocent; none of us wants to see that innocence leave you."

"That makes sense, I guess."

"Kitten?" Amara had noticed that her Princess was missing.

Serena reentered and replied, "I'm here, Amara. And…" Serena stopped, not sure how to finish her sentence.

"What is it?"

"Well, you know how I've been acting weird lately, and how I haven't been to school, and how I was sneaking out at night?"

"Yeah. You already explained about that, and honestly, how could you have gone to school after your immune system collapsed?" Amara had no clue where this was going, and apparently, no one else did, either.

"Well, that wasn't exactly the case…uuhh, some other stuff was involved…" Serena looked like a naughty child that was in trouble.

Amara was wary now. "Like what?"

"Ever heard of the Knights Templar?"

Amara blinked. "The what?"

"The Knights Templar were a group of knights that were connected to the Crusades and existed in 1129," Amy spoke up helpfully.

"Now I have," Amara replied. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Amy was right about the Knights Templar being around in that time period, but the truth is that they've been around even longer than that."

Amy broke in, "Serena, you're making no sense. The Knights Templar were disbanded in the 1300's!"

"Actually, they're still out there. I've met them."

"That's crazy."

"I know it sounds crazy, but my Aunt Diane told me it was so, and I know it's so. Ugh, I guess I'll have to do something that's considered asinine…" Serena sighed, and then put her hands together. When she opened them, a flame glowed between her hands.

Amy stared. "What's going on?"

"Long story short, my family's been fighting an age-old battle against fiends from Hell, and because my mom died, I got stuck fighting. And did I mention that there's this mega-powerful sorceress who's out for my blood because one of my ancestors put some sort of curse on her?"

Everyone stared at her. Seiya spoke calmly from behind Serena; "She's not kidding, guys. The Knights Templar are actually still around, and she's stuck in the middle of an ancient war."

Amara shook her head dubiously. "How did it happen?"

"It began back in the time of Camelot, which, by the way, also existed. My ancestor, an insanely powerful sorceress named Elara, was the first female ever to join the ranks of the Knights Templar. Magic runs through my veins, and, unfortunately, my ancestor also left me with an incredibly pissed off bad guy to defeat."

"Why are you fighting, Kitten?"

"My mother passed that legacy on to me when she died at the hands of the Abomination."

"The Abomination?"

"The Abomination was an extremely powerful and evil sorceress who caused the fall of Camelot. All the crap about Mordred and Lancelot and Guenevere was pure myth. The Abomination was once beautiful, and that was how she seduced so many to the dark side. However, Elara made it impossible for her to do that by placing a curse on her that caused her looks to reflect her dark heart. Most reverted back to the good side, and the Abomination was so pissed that she killed/dismembered Elara and has spent her time hunting down her descendants and killing them in revenge."

By this point, Amara was white as a sheet, and so was everyone else. Even Seiya was pale, because even though he'd heard it already, the thought of something like that happening to his Odango terrified him.

"It's no big deal, though. I've already tap danced on the Abomination's nerves and I'm just fine."

Seiya rolled his eyes, and Amara looked suspicious. "Kitten, what was really going on while you were gone?"

"Oh, the Abomination showed up, I started shooting my mouth off, she got pissed and snapped a few bones, dragged me to her lair, tortured me, I continued to shoot my mouth off, she got even more pissed, tortured me some more, and then the Knights Templar showed up and saved my butt. Then, I was unconscious for four days, so I have no idea what happened during that time." The blonde reeled all of that off in a dead-pan, matter-of-fact tone that one would use when explaining that week's grocery list.

The Sailor Scouts, Kakyuu, Yaten, and Taiki stared at her. Seiya was looking at her exasperatedly.

"Honestly, Odango, you act like it's no big deal when it is!"

"It can't have been that bad; I wouldn't be thinking it was fun ticking off the bad guy if it had."

"I'm starting to wonder if whatever spell she used affected your mental state."

"Or I'm trying to be like George Weasley when he lost his ear and make it into a joke."

"You're failing. Anything that endangers you is nothing to laugh about," Seiya stated seriously.

'Finally that idiot says something intelligent!" Amara thought. 'Oh, Kitten, why didn't you let us in sooner?'

"Is there any way to stop her, Serenity-hime?" Kakyuu asked.

"Yeah, but it involves my having to do something no one in this room would, in their right minds, allow me to do. I have to willing place myself in the hands of the Abomination in the name of love and somehow, that's supposed to cause the power of the Moon and the magic that runs through my veins to combine, giving me the power to waste the Abomination and bring peace to all the world, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah."

"You're right," Amara stated. "You're most definitely not going to do anything of the sort. I can't believe you didn't tell us any of this!"

"I told you just now," Serena replied, keeping her tone calm and measured. She didn't want to set Amara off.

"You could have told us when it began!"

"Would you have believed me? My parents had just died; I'm willing to bet you guys would have brushed it off as me trying to deal with my grief."

Amara was quiet; that was true. They probably _would_ have done that. "You could have told us after things settled down."

"I was scared! I was realizing that vampyrs and daemons existed, and I was afraid that you would get hurt! I'd just found out about the Abomination, and she was haunting my dreams every night!"

Luna inquired, "Was that what your nightmares were about?"

"Yeah. I was freaked, especially after I found out that those dreams are more or less prophetic. I dreamed of the Abomination, and she showed up. I dreamed that my mom died, and she died."

"Serena why didn't you tell us any of this?" the cat asked sadly.

"I was trying to protect all of you, and I was scared that I'd end up getting committed."

"We're your protectors," Trista said softly. "_We're_ supposed to protect _you_, not the other way around."

"I know that now. I was just too stupid to figure it out sooner."

"Or too stubborn," Seiya muttered.

Serena mock-smacked him upside the head.

"No more secrets, Kitten. Something happens, you tell us."

"Okay."

"And no cutting school," Amy said. "I have a strange feeling that you weren't actually sick."

"You're right. I won't. I'm done with that."

"Good."

Serena felt strangely relieved after telling all of them what was really going on. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. 'Maybe I was wrong,' she thought. 'Maybe they can help me.'


	30. Chapter Twenty Nine

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Battle…and the Aftermath**

**AN:** Finals are going to kill me. I'm sorry I've taken forever to update, but you know how it is…sigh…

It happened that the Sailor Scouts and their visitors from Kinmoku didn't have to wait long at all to face the enemy Serena was destined to be fighting until she died. Mere days after Serena's admission, the Abomination showed up again. Fortunately for Serena, she wasn't alone this time. No one had dared to leave her alone since she'd revealed the evil she faced.

Unfortunately, this resulted in a battle that took place on the blonde's home turf. Serena didn't need to power up like the others; she simply launched into her vampyr/daemon slaying persona and landed an excellent roundhouse kick into her enemy's stomach. Everyone else powered up and launched their specific attacks. All of the blasts hit their target, thanks to Serena's distracting blow.

The blasts didn't faze the Abomination. That was when they knew why Serena had seemed so hopeless; if their combined powers didn't leave a mark, that meant serious trouble. Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Pluto paled. Venus, Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter looked nervous, and the Starlights were disconcerted. Serena seemed unsurprised; how had she known nothing would work?

Actually, the petite blonde seemed extremely focused. Her face held an expression of deep concentration, like someone who was trying to balance a checkbook. She was clearly working on something; but no one could fathom what. Anyways, the Outers, Inners, and Starlights launched another volley. They could at least buy her some time.

The Abomination sneered. "You are all fools…in the end, you will not be able to save her from her fate."

Uranus stated calmly, "You'll never be able to destroy her; you can pick off all of us one by one, but in the end, Serena's light will always erase the darkness."

The blonde in question had turned her eyes to her enemy. Light was flowing from the very pores of her skin. "_Lux_," she murmured. She held out a hand, palm up.

In that hand, a shining orb of pure, celestial light formed. The light began to burn with an intense brightness that forced all of them to cover their eyes. Nevertheless, it was an impressive display of power.

The Abomination screeched, and lunged for Serena. Fighter, peering through her fingers, saw the danger, and moved quickly to block the attack or pull the blonde out of danger. At the same time, Uranus and Neptune decided to combine attacks and launched one at the Abomination. They missed, and the attack was heading straight for Serena. Fighter threw herself over the girl, shielding her from it. The raven-haired girl braced herself for the agonizing pain, and she felt Serena wrap her arms around her waist. What was she doing that for? The Abomination had a sword…oh, shit. Fighter knew she was screwed, but at least Serena wouldn't get hurt…seriously hurt, anyway. She closed her eyes.

None of the blows touched either of them. Fighter opened her eyes. The blast was being absorbed by a force field of pure light, and the Abomination's sword had melted. The enemy was screeching and clutching her hands, which looked badly burned. The Starlight glanced at Saturn, who had raised her glaive. The youngest Scout appeared positively confounded. Fighter turned her head to look at the girl who would always hold her heart.

Serena appeared uninjured, but her necklace was giving off an intense glow, and Fighter could feel the waves of power rolling from it. The blonde's eyes were closed, her arms still wrapped around her protector's waist. She clearly was too scared to open her eyes.

"It's all right, Odango. I'm all right," Fighter told her gently.

Serena opened her eyes. "I thought you were done for," she whispered shakily.

"So did I. But your necklace protected both of us."

Serena looked down at her amulet, which was still glowing faintly. "Yeah, I guess it did," she murmured.

The blasts had blinded the other Scouts, and Fighter heard Healer and Maker shout her name.

"I'm all right," the dark-haired girl yelled back. "I didn't get hit by anything."

The Abomination had recovered, and she was mad as hell by this time. She waved an arm, and Fighter found herself being hurled across the room by an invisible force. The others found themselves being treated the same way. No one could move once they landed. The enemy had them pretty much paralyzed. Fighter was frantically trying to any part of her body to respond to her commands, and Maker and Healer, who were closest to Serena in physical location, were doing the same. No one could do anything, though.

"ODANGO!" Fighter screamed. This wasn't happening; it couldn't be. She struggled even harder to break free from whatever spell held her captive. She could hear Uranus shouting every profanity under the sun, and she could hear the others' shouts of distress, dismay, and fear.

Serena dodged the blows the Abomination threw at her. The two circled each other in a dance of death. The blonde they had all known was gone. Serena had gone from a klutzy and frightened kitten to a graceful and deadly tigress. The battle was between them now.

"Honestly, why don't you make this easier on yourself?" the Abomination crooned. "If you surrender now, I'll give you a quick, painless death rather than the slow, torturous one I planned to give you."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Serena sneered. "I'd rather have the satisfaction of sending you to Hell."

"Brave words. Unfortunately, words cannot help you. Words are as useless to you as a defense as your pathetic little friends."

"My friends aren't pathetic; they never have been, and they never will be."

"Your loyalty commends you, but it cannot save you or them." The Abomination's eyes suddenly got a deadly gleam in them.

Serena felt her heart jump into her throat, but she forced her face to remain calm and composed.

The Abomination snapped her fingers, and Fighter found herself suspended in midair, still frozen. With a certain stab of horror, the raven-haired girl realized what was about to happen. The Abomination planned to use her to hurt Serena. She turned her head to look at her blonde goddess. Serena's eyes were tortured.

"Don't surrender, no matter what happens," Fighter told her. "Whatever happens, don't let her get to you. No matter what she does, don't take the bait."

"I wonder how long it would take to break this one," the Abomination mused. "An hour, two? Could she last weeks, months?"

Serena seemed frozen in place, as though she'd been turned to stone. Fighter prayed that she wouldn't give in.

"Let's see, shall we?"

Fighter found herself being assailed by the worst pain imaginable. Screams tore from her throat unbidden. Vaguely, she heard her comrades screaming and yelling. The pain stopped.

The Abomination asked, "Sorceress, are you going to let your friend suffer, or will you surrender?"

"Don't surrender," Fighter managed to gasp.

Serena made no answer.

"Very well."

Agony tore through her once again, for much longer this time. 'Odango, don't give in,' she thought. 'This bitch can torture me all she wants; just don't let it influence you. You're more important.' Fighter endured the pain; she was prepared to endure forever if it meant Serena wasn't in the hands of this monster again.

**§†****жжж****†§**

Serena sank to her knees. She was trying to do what Fighter had told her to, but it was killing her. Fighter's screams tore at her heart like nothing else could. Tears streamed down her face, and she tried to ignore her love's suffering. She could hear Maker, Healer, and her Sailor Scouts screaming at the Abomination to either leave Fighter alone or quit torturing her like this. The blonde closed her eyes.

Then, she opened them. She knew what she had to do. Fighter wouldn't forgive her for it; no one would. But it was necessary. The blonde forced down the tears and squared her shoulders, fixing her enemy with a stony gaze.

"Stop," she said softly. "Take me instead. Leave her alone. You can have me, but I will fucking _kill_ you if you touch _her_ again."

The Abomination's face was triumphant. "You are far too soft, sorceress. I knew you wouldn't be able to bear seeing your love suffer."

"Maybe I am. We'll see." Serena regarded her enemy with a calm countenance. She had to do this; for Fighter's sake. She wasn't going to let her suffer anymore. She wasn't going to let _anyone_ suffer anymore. She had to go. Once the Abomination had her, she would stop hurting the ones she loved.

"Odango, _no_!" Fighter whispered hoarsely. "Don't. I don't care what she does to me; if it means she's not hurting you, I don't care how much pain I have to suffer."

Serena walked over, knelt down, and took her love's face in her hands. "_You_ may not care, but _I _do. The Abomination would never stop until she had me in her grasp. She would kill you, and I couldn't stand that," she said softly.

Tears streamed from Fighter's eyes. "Please don't go," she begged. "Stay. Be strong, and let her take me."

"Be selfish, you mean. Fighter, I will never let you suffer like that again."

"She'll do worse to you," Fighter cried."Don't you see that? She would never hurt me as badly as she would you."

"That's reaching, and you know it." Serena stroked the other girl's face. "I promise you; everything will be okay. I don't know exactly how, but I know it'll be okay. You just have to trust me." The blonde stood and faced the Abomination. "I'm ready," she said simply.

The Abomination cackled, and seized her roughly by the arm. The two disappeared. At the same time, the spell that had frozen everyone broke. Healer and Maker ran over to Fighter, and began checking her for serious wounds or injuries of any nature. Fighter sank down and wept. Her comrades, once they were satisfied that there were no serious injuries, wrapped their arms around her, trying to comfort her.

"Fighter, you have to trust Serena. If she says it'll be all right, it most likely will be," Maker soothed.

The Inner Scouts were a wreck. Mars flew into a rage and stormed off, with Jupiter following her to make sure she didn't do something stupid. Venus was trying comfort a crying Mercury, despite the fact that she was crying herself. The Outers, too were reacting intensely. Uranus was screaming about how Serena had been an idiot; how she couldn't possibly know things would be fine. Neptune was crying, but trying to calm Uranus down, with little to no success. Pluto was racing to the Time Gate and looking for a way to prevent the event from occurring. Saturn had gone into a meditative state, trying to seek out her Princess with her mind. They could possibly rescue her.

Fighter, however, had completely fallen apart. Nothing anyone could say or do would comfort her. She was convinced that she had failed Serena, and no one could shake her from that viewpoint. The other two explained what had happened to their Princess, but not even Kakyuu could comfort Fighter. The noir-haired girl sank into a catatonic state. She did not resurface.


	31. Chapter Thirty

**Chapter Thirty: When Darkness Comes**

**AN: **Geez, is school ever going to let up? Sigh… I think I might be able to finish this soon. Wish me luck!

Serena lay sprawled across a stone floor in a pool of her own blood. She could barely think; the pain was too great. Fighter's distraught face hovered behind her closed eyelids. Fighter…Fighter had to be protected, no matter the cost.

"Forgive me, my love…I never wanted to leave you this way," she whispered to the darkness.

The blonde sank further into her final darkness, allowing the shadows of death to take away the pain. A soft, angelic voice sang a lullaby she'd halfway forgotten. The lullaby was one she had not heard since she was a small child.

_Hush, my child,_

_Do not fear._

_Night is done, and day is near._

_Sleep, my darling,_

_Angels guard you,_

_And always know you have my love._

_When darkness comes, _

_Shed no tears,_

_For you,_

_My light,_

_My little star,_

_Are protected by angels_

_From Heaven eternal._

The singing voice was so tender and loving; it alleviated some of the blonde's pain and fear. The voice reminded her of the times when her mother would sing to comfort her when her fears caught up to her in her dreams. She could almost feel her mother's kiss good night.

"Do not be afraid; Serena. Your light is far stronger than the Abomination's darkness," her mother whispered.

"Mother…" Serena whispered. Was she hallucinating?

"Save your strength, sweet one. You'll need it. I'm here for only a small amount of time. Your powers as the Moon Princess and the powers I left you are merging, but you're fading. You need to fight this darkness, or all will be lost."

"It hurts…"

"I know, but you have to trust me. I promise, if you fight this battle, you will win, and the age-old war we've been fighting will end."

"Mommy…"

"Shh…focus, darling. I will always be with you…"

Serena used the little strength she had left in her to push away from the darkness that had seemed so peaceful a few minutes ago. The darkness rippled, but did not budge. This didn't stop her; she tried again. This time, it gave a little, and she felt a small amount of her strength return. But she was so tired… Fighter's face, filled with agony and pain, filled her mind. No! She wouldn't let that happen again!

The blonde continued her struggle to free herself, and ignored her fatigue and the pain that was increasing as she became more aware of where she was. The darkness continued to dissolve. Light was finally winning, ending the impasse that had existed between light and dark since this war with the Abomination had begun.

A shadow suddenly appeared in her path, blocking her way. It radiated evil.

"Do not think you can escape me," it hissed. "You've evaded me once; what more could you ask for?"

"I want you to get the fuck out of my face," replied Serena through gritted teeth.

With a howl of fury, the shadow disappeared, and Serena found herself fully conscious on the stone floor of the Abomination's lair, her enemy standing over her. The blonde could feel new strength and power coursing through her veins; it was time to end this.


	32. Chapter Thirty One

**Chapter Thirty-One: The Light Wins Out**

**AN: **Sorry I haven't written in so long…my laptop got confiscated until today, and I had to work hard to get it back.

Serena felt powerful…as in _god-like_ powerful. She could feel the raw power from both of her bloodlines coursing through her veins. On top of that, she felt stronger and surer of herself than she ever had in her life. The blonde was beginning to see how power could corrupt; with this much power in her, she felt as though she could do anything and take on anyone. It was an addicting feeling.

The Moon Princess faced her enemy with a face that reflected pure, untainted serenity. The Abomination was backing away, her eyes wide with shock. Serena looked down at herself. Her Senshi uniform had been completely altered. It was white, shot through with silver and gold, and her bow had become silver mixed with gold as well. In her peripheral vision, she could see that her wings were pure white, spread wide like an angel's. She then recalled the task at hand. She called upon the powers of the Tier, which had changed as well, and pulsed with power.

"_Caeles de lucis, juvare me nunc,_" she murmured. Gods of light, help me now.

The Tier began to shine as brightly as a star. As Serena held it, she could feel its power flowing through her and it. The object and its bearer were connected. Rays of light shot out from the Tier, seeking out any trace of darkness. When they fell on the Abomination, the effect was immediate. This most powerful of enemies screamed from pain and fear. More rays of light burst from the Tier, and shot across the universe, banishing all daemons, vampyrs, and other creatures of Hell back to the fire-lit worlds of agony and torment form which they came.

Yet even then, the Abomination tried to resist. She threw her darkest spells and magic at this being of light who so threatened her very existence. But it was all for naught. This mere slip of a girl's light was so strong and pure that no darkness could touch her. The Abomination cowered in the face of the light, and looked to her enemy for mercy.

The dark creature flung herself at Serena's feet. "Spare my life, bearer of light. Do not put an end to me."

The blonde looked down at her enemy, her face still one of great tranquility. "Why should I do this?" she asked, her voice like silver bells.

"I am only a woman who once lost her greatest gift; all I have left is power, but I cannot use that effectively because of the terrible curse that afflicts me."

Serena looked her enemy in the face. Now that she was no longer proud and gloating, the Abomination was downright pitiable. The blonde found herself wondering what to do. And then, a thought struck her, and she peered deep into her enemy's soul.

What she saw would have caused one with a heart of stone to weep. The Abomination had once had a pure soul, full and overflowing with light, love, and bliss. But the ones who had made her, given birth to her, had taken that soul and twisted it into something dark and full of hate. The blonde saw it all; everything that had destroyed this once beautiful soul, and it made her weep tears of gold.

She looked at her enemy with new eyes, and made her decision. She whispered, "I will spare you, and I will return to you the peace that you have lost." She raised the Tier, and uttered the words that would allow her to fulfill her promise. "_Caeles de lucis ac caeles de amor, dono pax ac nova vitae ad hic afflicta animae._" Gods of light and gods of love, grant peace to this shattered soul.

The Tier glowed with a blinding light, and the blonde was forced to close her eyes. When she opened them again, her enemy had been changed. In the place of a groveling, miserable creature lay a small baby, wrapped in a thick, warm blanket. Serena lifted the baby into her arms and smiled down on her. The baby cooed sweetly at her, and the blonde smiled. "Rest now, little one. All is well. May you find peace and love until the end of your days," she whispered.

Then, she called on her protector goddess, the Lady Selene.

"What can I do for you, my child?" the goddess asked.

"Will you take this child to someone who will love her and protect her?"

"Of course…you have done well. You have healed a truly broken soul and given it a chance to start anew."

"Thank you, milady." Serena bowed.

"Rise, my child. You need not bow to me or anyone else. Because of your infinite capacity for love, you have done more good than any of the gods put together. For that reason, I will grant you one wish."

Serena's head spun. There were so many things she could wish for…but she didn't know what to do with the wish. She could wish for her parents, or that Seiya didn't have to leave…after all, Kakyuu-hime and the Starlights couldn't stay _forever_! But, no…that was selfish. She made her decision. "I wish for the people I love to have eternal happiness and safety."

Selene, her face somewhat surprised, asked, "Nothing for yourself?"

"No. It would be selfish to wish for something that would only make me happy."

"Very well. The gods will grant your wish…and I will give you what your heart desires."

"Bu—"

"You deserve it. No buts," Selene told her gently.

Serena nodded. "Thank you," she murmured.

"You are welcome, my child. You will always have the love of the gods." Selene disappeared with the baby, and Serena was left alone.

The blonde decided to return to the Sailor Scouts; the battle was over, and she needed to see for herself that Fighter wasn't seriously hurt.


	33. Chapter Thirty Two

**Chapter Thirty-Two: The Return**

**AN: **It's almost over…this is the second to last chapter. I plan to finish this before Christmas. It's my gift to all of you faithful, patient reviewers.

Serena found her friends at Rae's temple. It was so quiet that one could have heard a pen rolling across the table, the _whoosh_ as it fell, and the usual _thud_ when it landed. It was as silent as a graveyard. No one looked up as she opened the door. They all thought it was Rae's grandpa coming in. Actually, to be technical, Fighter was too busy staring blankly at the wall, lost in memories of Serena, and no one else cared who came in. Serena was dead, so why did they care about anything?

The blonde silently watched her friends. Amara and Michelle were sitting silently, their faces like stone, and they seemed to be silently arguing with Trista and Hotaru. Mina was weeping silently while Yaten held her, and Taiki was doing the same for Amy. Rae was staring at the ceiling with tearstains on her face. Lita was standing with Kakyuu in front of a window. Both were staring out of it, as though waiting for her to return. Seiya had remained Fighter, and Fighter was sitting in a chair, staring sightlessly at a wall.

Serena cleared her throat. Amara looked up and glared at her. When she realized who it was, however, the change was immediate. The glare left her face and her face went pale as her dark green eyes widened.

"Kitten," the wind soldier whispered.

At the sound, everyone else, excluding Fighter (hello, she's catatonic!), turned to look. In the next instant, Serena found herself being suffocated by a massive hug.

"Ouch…guys…can't…breathe," Serena gasped.

They let go of her, and Serena braced herself for the inevitable explosion. It came in the form of a storm known as Hurricane Amara.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?" the wind soldier exploded. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED, YOU IDIOT! GOD, WE ALL THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IT'S BEEN LIKE; THINKING WE'D LOST YOU FOREVER?"

Serena regarded Amara calmly, her facial expression holding only gentleness. "I knew exactly what I was doing, Amara," she stated calmly. Her powers were still merged, and therefore, everyone realized that something was very different, and that her voice had become like silver bells. "My surrender was necessary to get the power to defeat the Abomination, and I couldn't bear the thought of the people I love being tortured. I know perfectly well that I could have died, but as you can see, I am not dead, nor am I injured. I cannot possibly imagine how all of you must have felt, but if you had had any faith whatsoever, I doubt you would have suffered half as much."

Amara stared at her Princess, dumbfounded. If she'd exploded like that a few months ago, Serena would have been cowering in a corner. But now, she barely blinked, and she explained her reasoning logically and with amazing eloquence. Furthermore, what she was saying was the complete truth. The wind soldier felt her wrath fading as quickly as it had come. "Don't scare us like that again," she finally said.

"I don't plan to unless another situation like that one arises," Serena replied, smiling calmly. Then, she noticed that Fighter was still sitting in a chair staring at the wall. Her face became concerned. "What happened to Fighter? Did the Abomination do something else?"

Taiki replied, "She's gone into a catatonic state. After you surrendered, she couldn't handle it, so she shut down."

"How do we fix that?"

"Well, now that you're back, maybe we could wake her up. You might want to power down, though…your glow's blinding."

"Okay." Serena powered down, and she felt the strength and power return to their sources. Mercifully, her voice didn't have that annoying ring to it anymore, either. She'd been getting tired of that. The blonde moved over to Fighter and knelt down in front of her. She touched the dark-haired girl's arm gently. "Fighter," she whispered gently.

No response.

"Fighter, it's okay. You can wake up now. I'm here." The blonde lightly caressed the other girl's face.

The girl twitched, but nothing else.

Serena felt fear creeping up on her. What if she couldn't get Fighter to wake up? What if she was too far gone? The blonde felt a burning behind her eyes. "Please, Fighter…don't do this," she whispered, stroking her love's face.

Fighter barely stirred. Serena could feel everyone staring at them, and she knew that Yaten was sensing her rising distress.

"Fighter…" she whispered, and pressed her lips to the dark-haired girl's. 'Please don't go,' her heart pleaded.


	34. Epilogue

**Epilogue: The New Future**

**AN:** Yay, I'm done! I hope you all enjoyed this, and Happy Holidays to everyone!

Serena stared pensively out upon the horizon, feeling sadness creep upon her as she remembered those terrible moments.

"What are you thinking about?"

The blonde turned and smiled at her husband. He was so handsome, and she loved him more than life. "I was thinking about the old days," she replied with a faint smile.

"Mmm…I remember those days," the man standing beside her smiled.

"Gods, they were so terrifying…but I can't help but miss them. Back then, we only had to worry about monsters. Now we have to do something even more dangerous…"

"Run a kingdom," the two chorused.

"Gods, those council meetings are dull," the man groaned. "The councilors never agree on anything!"

"No kidding," Serena agreed. "Although I daresay, if they ever agreed on something, they would all have aneurysms."

"At the same time?"

"Of course not! Then, they'd still agree!"

"Well, we can't have that, now, can we?" the man's voice was teasing and held mirth.

"Definitely not. If they all agreed, we wouldn't be able to go to council meetings, and that would be _terrible_!" the blonde laughed.

"Oh, that _would_ be a tragedy, wouldn't it?"

"Most definitely."

"We're agreed, then?"

"Yes. The councilors must never be allowed to agree. The results would be catastrophic."

Both burst into peals of laughter, and Serena took Seiya into her arms. Seiya held her tightly. He wasn't going to let her go, not ever! Serena rested her head on his chest. Seiya ran his hands up and down her back in a soothing motion that never failed to calm her down.

"I'm glad I was able to wake you up," Serena murmured softly into his chest.

When she'd kissed Fighter, at first, she'd thought for one heart-stopping moment that she'd lost her love. But then, Fighter blinked, and her eyes lost that vacant stare. When she'd seen Serena, she had let out a choked cry. Then, she grabbed the blonde and held her close, tears of joy springing from her eyes.

A few weeks later, Kakyuu had had to return. The Starlights were all ready to go, but then, Kakyuu had released them from her service.

"All I have ever wanted is for you to be happy," she'd told them. "And I see that you could never be truly happy without the women you love by your sides."

That decision had been popular with just about everyone. Everyone but Amara, Trista, and Michelle. However, they eventually called a truce, and there was now a fragile but strengthening friendship growing between the Outers and Starlights.

"I love you…Odango," Seiya murmured into her hair.

"I love you, too, Seiya," she whispered, and turned her head up to receive a tender kiss.

**The End**

**AN:** Come on, you didn't think I'd let Fighter go, did you?


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